Blue Jackets' Curtis McElhinney: Will open season as primary backup

McElhinney (knee) will be the No. 2 goalie behind Sergei Bobrovsky for Columbus to start the 2016-17 campaign, NHL.com reports.

Analysis:

As a career backup, it's no surprise that McElhinney will play second fiddle to Bobrovsky, who has thrived for Team Russian in the early stages of the World Cup of Hockey, though it's interesting to see him already tabbed as the No. 2 despite the presence of prospects Anton Forsberg and Joonas Korpisalo. McElhinney is 33 years old and set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season. His 2015-16 campaign was cut short having undergone arthroscopic knee surgery.