Flames acquire Kevin Poulin for future considerations

The goaltending picture hasn’t gotten any clearer.

Now added to the Calgary Flames’ cast of netminders is Kevin Poulin. Poulion, previously with Tampa Bay Lightning organization (though he never played a game for them), was acquired for future considerations.

He’s been assigned to the Stockton Heat, so no need to get too excited quite yet.

Poulin, 25, has played in 50 NHL games, all with the New York Islanders, and has an overall save percentage of .899. He has yet to play in the NHL – or AHL, for that matter – this season, and only had one NHL game in 2014-15.

In short, he’s probably not the answer the Flames are looking for in net.

If anything, this means bad news for Jon Gillies, who is day-to-day with a lower body injury. Adding a new goaltender makes it seem like the injury is a whole lot worse than day-to-day, though. There is currently no timetable for his return, and according to Assistant General Manager Brad Pascall, Gillies is going to miss “some time”.

Poulin played 45 games in the AHL last season for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. His save percentage was .912. He’s an upgrade on Kent Simpson and Eric Hartzell, the two goalies currently playing for the Heat, as Simpson, who has primarily played in the ECHL, only has a .813 SV% over two games this season, and Hartzell has barely played, but was also slated more for the ECHL than AHL.

Basically, this truly is the season of hell when it comes to Flames goaltending: everyone in the NHL has been terrible, and the top prospect outside of it is injured. Hopefully Poulin can bring some stability, at least in the minor league, because this is an organization that desperately needs it.