Curtis McElhinney will get his first start of the season Wednesday when his Toronto Maple Leafs host the Detroit Red Wings.
Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock confirmed the news to reporters Wednesday morning. Babcock also announced defenceman Andreas Borgman and forward Eric Fehr will be in the lineup after the two were healthy scratches in Tuesday’s 2-0 victory over the Washington Capitals.
The Maple Leafs re-signed McElhinney to a two-year contract on July 1.
The backup netminder was claimed by the Maple Leafs in January after being waived by the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 34-year-old made 14 appearances for Toronto in 2016-17, going 6-7-0 with a 2.85 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.
Earlier this month the Maple Leafs acquired Calvin Pickard in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. Pickard was assigned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Pickard is a capable NHL goalie, which means there will be pressure on McElhinney to perform in order to maintain his spot as the team’s backup.
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