Flames place goaltender Joni Ortio on waivers
With Jonas Hiller nearing a return from a lower body injury, the Calgary Flames have placed goaltender Joni Ortio on waivers.
The 24-year-old Ortio had played just four games this season and carried a 4.26 goal-against average and .868 save percentage. He hasn’t played since Oct. 30, and had mostly been backup to Karri Ramo, who had reclaimed his position on the NHL roster after also being placed on waivers earlier in the season.
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Since Nov. 5, Ramo has gone 5-4-0 as Calgary (8-13-1) has tried to regain its footing after a dreadful start. In that stretch he allowed three-or-more goals in just four games. Ortio is in the final season of a two-year contract that carries a $600,000 salary cap hit.
His real dollars salary for this season is $600,000. There is no AHL drop for Ortio in the minor leagues.
Goaltending has been a major issue for the Flames as Ramo, Hiller (3.67 goal-against average and .861 save percentage) and Ortio have yet to put together any real season-long consistency.
With 17 points, the Flames have just two more than the Edmonton Oilers – the last place team in the Pacific Division.
Hiller has been out since an Oct. 28 collision with Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan.
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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper
