Michael Leighton
Acquired from Montreal during the summer of 2007 to bolster the Hurricanes’ goaltending depth, Michael Leighton saw action in 3 games during the 2007-08 season after John Grahame was placed on waivers and demoted.
Unfortunately, Leighton didn’t fare better than Grahame:
2007-08: 3GP; 1W; 1L; 2.66 GAA; .897 SV%; 0 SO
Leighton entered the 2008-09 season as Ward’s primary backup and didn’t make out better:
2008-09: 19GP; 6W; 7L; 2.92 GAA; .901 SV%; 0 SO
Sadly, the downward trend continued for Leighton in the 2009-10 season:
2009-10: 7GP; 1W; 4L; 4.28 GAA, .848 SV%; 0 SO
Leighton was placed on waivers in December of 2009 and claimed by Philadelphia. After spending time in Philadelphia, Chicago, and the KHL, Leighton returned to the Carolina Hurricanes as a free agent in 2016 on a two-way contract.
While his AHL numbers were good, Leighton couldn’t translate that success in his limited play with the Hurricanes:
2016-17: 4GP; 2W; 2L; 3.43 GAA; .870 SV%; 0 SO
After his second stint with the Carolina Hurricanes, Leighton moved on to Tampa Bay, Arizona, and Pittsburgh, but has not played in another NHL game.
Best Performance: Leighton stopped 38 out of 39 shots in a 3-1 win over the Washington Capitals on December 7th, 2008
Overall Impression: Michael Leighton always struck me as a good guy. While his sporadic play for the Carolina Hurricanes never justified more ice time at the NHL level, his career AHL stats aren’t too shabby.