June 25: The start of the buyout period came and went without Darling’s name on waivers, but today Carolina GM Don Waddell told reporters including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer that he is “leaning toward” buying out the veteran goaltender. He would not rule out a trade, but it still sounds like Darling’s time in Carolina is over.
May 19: The Carolina Hurricanes felt they were finally getting the starting goaltender it needed to take the team into the playoffs in 2017 when they traded for immediately signed the Chicago Blackhawks’ backup goalie Scott Darling to a four-year, $16.6MM contract. After two long and disappointing years, it looks like the Hurricanes are ready to pull the plug on the deal as David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period reports that Carolina intends to buy out the netminder when the buyout period opens.
If the Hurricanes do follow through with a buyout, the buyout cap hit would break down like this (according to CapFriendly):
2019-20: $1.233MM
2020-21: $2.333MM
2021-22: $1.183MM
2022-23: $1.183MM
Darling, who was the backup to Corey Crawford during the Blackhawks’ successful playoff runs, was acquired for a third-round pick in 2017. In his final season in Chicago, he posted a 2.37 GAA and a .924 save percentage in 32 games played, but had never served as a starting goalie. However, nothing went right once Darling hit the ice in Carolina. He struggled in his initial season in 2017-18 when he 3.18 GAA and a .888 save percentage in a career-high 43 games. Despite talk during the summer that Darling was committed to conditioning and getting back on track, the Hurricanes choose to claim goaltender Curtis McElhinney off waivers, giving them three goaltenders alongside Darling and Petr Mrazek. The three played in tandem, but Darling only made eight appearances, struggling even more. He finished with a 3.34 GAA and a .884 save percentage, eventually being placed on waivers and sent to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL in hopes of him regaining his confidence. Instead, he continued to struggle, putting up a 3.40 GAA and a .882 save percentage in 14 appearances there, prompting the goaltender to take a leave of absence in which he never returned.
If the Hurricanes do buyout Darling, it will have to sign another goaltender before July 1 as teams need to have three goaltenders under contract, according to the CBA. At the moment, the team only has two goaltenders under contract, including Jeremy Helvig and Callum Booth, neither of which are in their 2018-19 plans. McElhinney and Mrazek are both slated to become unrestricted free agents, while AHL star Alex Nedeljkovic will be a restricted free agent this summer.
What’s Alex Semin up to these days?
He was the leading scorer and MVP for Podolsk Vityaz in the KHL this season
Ned is the future goaltender. He’ll be signed and backup Mrazek.
When you write that Scott Darling had never served as a starting goalie, do you mean he had never served as the number one goalie on a team?
It’s a little difference but they mean two distinct things. Of course Darling had started games before but had never had the workload of a number 1 goalie prior to arriving in Carolina. I think that’s what you’re trying to get across.
Isn’t it obvious? He was clearly talking about how Darling wasn’t a starting goalie (aka #1 in depth chart).
Feel bad for Scottie. Nice guy.
Sure, but he has been the starting goalie for several stretches in 2015-16 and 2016-17 when Crawford was injured. Darling started a number of consecutive games. He largely was the back-up and I’d say he’s never been considered a team’s #1 goalie, but he has been the starter (de facto or not).
They have a third goalie under contract. They traded for for Anton Forsberg this morning from the Hawks.
Yes, his story was a good one and how he worked his way back the hard way to find success in Chicago. Shame it’s been all downhill since.