Free agency creates change for Steve Mason, Brian Elliott, Ryan Miller

The opening day of free agency in the NHL felt like a big game of musical chairs for goaltenders, and a handful of teams and goalies took that concept to heart.
Among the many goaltending moves this offseason, five formed a perfect circle.

With Steve Mason signing with the Winnipeg Jets (two years, $8.2 million), Brian Elliott with the Philadelphia Flyers (two years, $5.5 million), and Ondrej Pavelec with the New York Rangers (one year, $1.3 million) on Saturday, it completed a five-team shift.
Goalies on the move: Niemi | Bernier | Miller | Johnson | Pavelec | Nilsson | Mason | Elliott
It started with the Arizona Coyotes trading Mike Smith to the Flames and acquiring Antti Raanta in a trade with the Rangers. Smith effectively replaces Elliott, who replaces Mason, who replaces Pavelec, who replaces Raanta, who replaces Smith.
It's enough to make you dizzy, and that's just the start of the goaltending merry-go-round.
Most of the moves involved backups or tandem options, but the bigger deals involved goalies expecting to compete for a No. 1 job. Mason and Elliott are at the top of the list.

Mason is familiar with the downside of being expected to do too much too soon, which is what the Jets hope he can help prevent for Connor Hellebuyck. Mason was the NHL rookie of the year with the Columbus Blue Jackets after having a .916 save percentage in 2008-09. He was below .900 over his next four seasons in Columbus despite making strides technically before bouncing back quickly after being acuired by the Flyers at the 2014 NHL Trade Deadline. He's had a .918 save percentage over four seasons since.
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In addition to sharing his experience of being through the ups and downs of a young goalie, Mason should buy time for Hellebuyck to keep working on his craft in practice without having to worry about playing every night.
"I've gone through some of the same things that Connor may have experienced and I think I can help guide him through and come out the other side," Mason said.
Mason's replacement in Philadelphia is also familiar with his circumstance.
Elliott was part of a tandem with Chad Johnson last season, and for much of five seasons with the St. Louis Blues before that. He arrives in Philadelphia better prepared for a quick adjustment to a new team after struggling for his first few months in Calgary but knowing he faces another job-share with Michal Neuvirth.
"I've been in the same type of situation my whole career," Elliott said.

Further west, the biggest move was Ryan Miller signing a two-year, $4 million contract with the Anaheim Ducks.
Miller, who turns 37 on July 17, has a chance to play on a Stanley Cup contending team and close to home after being away from his wife, actress Noureen DeWulf, the past two seasons.
The Ducks added a goalie who can play and be a solid mentor for young No. 1 John Gibson, who has undeniable talent but parts of his game have left him prone to injuries. Miller has been ahead of the curve on position-specific training since college, updating his off-ice workouts throughout his 14 years in the NHL while modernizing his technical game over three seasons with the Vancouver Canucks.
"I'd like to think I have some things that can help him out," Miller said.
Miller, Mason and Elliott could play bigger roles, but most of the free agent signings focused on backup jobs. Some teams saw value in a known commodity, preferring to reinvest in a goalie they already know fits well with their system and playing partner rather than risking the kind of style-of-play adjustment Elliott went through in Calgary.
The Toronto Maple Leafs elected to re-sign Curtis McElhinney to a two-year, $1.7-million contract shortly before he was set to hit the open market. That move echoed the Ottawa Senators re-signing Mike Condon to a three-year, $7.2 million contract, which set the market for backup goalies with upside.
Even the Buffalo Sabres signing free agent Chad Johnson to a one-year, $2.5 million contract was about familiarity. Johnson had a .910 save percentage in 36 games with Calgary last season but was .920 in 45 games with the Sabres in 2015-16 and chose to reunite with Robin Lehner and goalie coach Andrew Allen in Buffalo.
Some teams chose size and potential. The Canucks have 13-feet of Swedish goaltending after signing 6-foot-6 Anders Nilsson to a two-year, $5 million contract to compete with Jacob Markstrom. Others relied on experience and a hope past performances may repeat themselves.

The Colorado Avalanche signed Jonathan Bernier to a one-year, $2.75 million contract, aware he won't get the same defensive support he enjoyed for a .915 save percentage with the Ducks last season, but also knowing he has experience behind a more open Maple Leafs team for three seasons, including a .923 save percentage in 2013-14.
The Pittsburgh Penguins signed Antti Niemi, who was bought out by the Dallas Stars, to a one-year, $700,000 contract, hoping he can bounce back from an .892 save percentage last season behind a struggling defense and play more like the goalie who had a .917 save percentage over five seasons with the San Jose Sharks.
Similarly, the Rangers hope Pavelec will be better than he was behind a mistake-prone system after signing him to a one-year, $1.3 million contract. Pavelec may represent the biggest gamble and, after Nilsson, the biggest potential upside among the backups signed in free agency. Rangers goalie coach Benoit Allaire has a strong history of getting more out of goalies by having them play deeper in the crease, from Henrik Lundqvist when he first arrived from Sweden, to Raanta last season. Pavelec's raw skills have rarely been in doubt, but his willingness to work at adjusting his game has, making this a fascinating experiment.
Like the rest of this wild game of goalie musical chairs, however, it may take a while to find out if Pavelec ended up in the right seat.