Red Wings Acquire Goalie Eric Comrie In Trade With Coyotes

Comrie
Photo credit © David Berding-USA TODAY Sports

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman continues to be active on the trade front. 

Detroit acquired goalie Eric Comrie from the Coyotes on Saturday in exchange for defensive prospect Vili Saarijarvi. 

Comrie, 24, has started five games over the last three seasons in the NHL, posting an .870 save percentage and a 4.20 goals against average. He was a second-round pick of the Jets in 2013. 

UPDATE: The #RedWings have acquired goaltender Eric Comrie from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for defenseman Vili Saarijarvi. pic.twitter.com/pwerbwbrR1

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 30, 2019

The Red Wings have struggled to get steady goaltending this season, and now Jimmy Howard is out with an injury. That forced the team to call up Calvin Pickard from Grand Rapids, which is where Comrie will likely report. He posted a .900 save percentage in four games this season with the Coyotes' AHL affiliate. 

Saarijarvi, 22, was a third-round pick of the Wings in 2015 who's spent most of the last three seasons in Grand Rapids. 

It would be a stretch to say Comrie is any sort of long-term solution in net for Detroit. He does have some upside, but his pro career has left lots to be desired. He'll likely share the crease in Grand Rapid with Filip Larsson, who remains the Wings' best goalie prospect. 

Jonathan Bernier, who has an .893 save percentage in 16 games this season, will get the bulk of the starts in Detroit until Howard returns. 

The trade for Comrie is Yzerman's third in the past month. He also acquired Brendan Perlini from the Blackhawks and Robby Fabbri from the Blues.