A rash of recent goaltending injuries throughout the NHL made the prospect of finally waiving Joni Ortio even scarier than it already was. Having started just two of the Flames’ first 22 games of the season, though, and with Jonas Hiller set to return, it was finally time to execute the obvious solution to the Flames’ three-goalie conundrum.
It turns out those fears that plagued the Flames all season long were ultimately unfounded, as 29 teams took a pass, and Ortio cleared waivers. He’ll likely be assigned to the Stockton Heat who, after injuries to both Jon Gillies and Kevin Poulin, are in desperate need of a goalie.