The Calgary Flames have added some goaltending depth as the team has agreed to terms on a two year, two-way contract with Tom McCollum, Dhiren Mahiban of The Hockey News reports. McCollum will earn the league minimum at the NHL level in each of the next two seasons, $575K in 2016-17 (with an AHL salary of $175K) and $650K in the NHL in 2017-18 (with a minor league pay of $200K). The second year is an important one as that will make him eligible to be exposed in the upcoming expansion draft; all teams must leave at least one goaltender unprotected.
McCollum was originally drafted in the first round (30th overall) in 2008 but failed to live up to his draft billing, getting into just three NHL games in seven professional seasons. Last year, he spent most of the year with Detroit’s AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids, posting a 15-13-0 record with a 2.42 GAA, a .923 SV%, and one shutout.
This offseason, he had signed a tryout deal with the Kings but was cut. He then landed a tryout with their AHL affiliate but was released from that opportunity on Tuesday.
With Calgary, McCollum will provide some extra depth in the minor leagues, assuming he makes it through waivers first. The Flames currently have Jon Gillies and David Rittich in the AHL plus prospect Mason McDonald at the ECHL level.
[Related: Flames Depth Chart]
Great goalie in OHL. Too bad he couldn’t transcend it to the NHL.