Edmonton Oilers: How Good is Cam Talbot?
By Zane Tomich
The Edmonton Oilers snatched up the most sought after goaltender on the trade market at the 2015 NHL Draft by acquiring Cam Talbot from the New York Rangers.
Talbot is a terrific goaltender with a very impressive resume to boot. After two seasons with the Rangers, he has shown that he is ready to take a major step forward towards a starting role in net.
The original asking price involved a first round pick for Talbot, but Peter Chiarelli was patient enough and cunningly out-waited the legendary Glen Sather to drive the price down. This ultimately ended in Chiarelli’s favour as he only had to fork over a 2015 2nd, 3rd and 7th round pick in the deal. Definitely not a huge price to pay considering the significant interest there was in Talbot.
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At 28 years of age, one can assume that he is entering the prime years of his playing career. The Oilers may very well have snagged Talbot at the perfect time.
Statistics
The past two seasons have been quite a ride for Talbot. He bursted into the NHL as a 26 year old rookie in 2013/14 and accumulated much success. Talbot backed up world class puck stopper Henrik Lundqvist. In 21 games he maintained an impressive 0.941 save percentage and went 12-6-1 with 3 shutouts. He showed that he was an above average, more than capable backup.
The 2014/15 season was the X factor that put Talbot on the map. He was tasked with a much bigger role as a result of Lundqvist getting injured and missing half of the regular season. With limited options in net, the Rangers thrusted Talbot into Lundqvist’s spot as the starting goaltender. He held his own quite well starting in 36 games and posting a strong 0.926 save percentage followed by a solid record of 21-9-4 with 5 shutouts.
Talbot’s stellar play not only kept the Rangers on top of the Eastern Conference standings, but it greatly contributed to the Presidents Trophy race that his team would end up winning at seasons end.
The Rangers are a great team, but they could have easily collapsed as soon as they lost Lundqvist. Talbot provided his team with exceptional goaltending which allowed them to continue producing and performing at a very high level. If you ask me, Talbot was the glue that held the Rangers together during the regular season.
Comparisons
Talbot’s situation reminds me of Cory Schneider‘s time with the Vancouver Canucks and his transition to become a legitimate number 1 goaltender.
Both goalies were put into situations where they backed up a superstar goaltender on their respective teams. They were then given golden opportunities to shine in the spotlight.
Schneider rode shotgun to one of the best goaltenders in the game in Roberto Luongo for most of his tenure in Vancouver. Schneider was a young up and comer that was performing well above average as a backup goaltender in his first couple of seasons in the NHL.
Schneider made his mark in the 2012/13 lockout shortened season as the chosen starter for the Canucks, playing in 30 of the 48 regular season games. His stellar play and Luongo’s inconsistency forced the two netminders to split games. Schneider ended that season with a solid 0.927 save percentage.
The 2012/13 season proved that he was ready to become a regular number 1 goaltender. The opportunity to become a starter led Schneider elsewhere as he was dealt to the New Jersey Devils during the 2013 NHL Draft. Ever since then, he has evolved into one of the premier starting goaltenders in the NHL and has become a worthy replacement for future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur in New Jersey.
Talbot has been given the same opportunity that Schneider had. He has the chance to solidify a spot on the Oilers roster as a true number 1 goalie. With Lundqvist embedded as the heart of the Rangers, Talbot had no future to become a starter in New York. I think a change of scenery is just what the doctor ordered for Talbot and the trade to Edmonton could work out perfectly, much like it did for Schneider and the Devils.
Cons
Controversy has spread as a result of the Oilers yet again choosing unproven, promising talent in net over established goaltenders. I understand that there is potential to endure another Ben Scrivens episode with Talbot. Like Talbot and the Rangers, Scrivens was a dominant force on a powerhouse LA Kings team that was strong in all dimensions of the game. The team in front of both goaltenders was ideal for the benefit of their success.
The potential in Scrivens seemed quite promising. However, when he came to Edmonton, things ultimately did not pan out.
I will meet the Scrivens sympathizers half way on this by agreeing that he did not have a lot of help in front of him. That being said, I still believe he is a backup goaltender at best. He cannot handle the pressure of being a number 1. Evidence of this is when he would lose his composure often and let in soft goals regularly. He proved to be unreliable at crucial points of games and cannot make the important saves.
Talbot is coming to Edmonton from the strong, swift New York Rangers. There is concern that the success he had in his 36 games last season is too small of a sample size to determine his readiness as a number 1 goalie. If you look at the situation Talbot was in during those 36 games and the numbers he achieved it is easy to make a case that he is ready to become a starting goaltender.
The Rangers had great defence and an all around great team, but I think his potential differs from Scrivens. Talbot has proved that he can handle situations with lots of overbearing pressure. He can make big saves at key moments in a game. He stepped into a high pressured situation after Lundqvist went down and performed well.
Talbots resume is much more credible and impressive than Scrivens in my opinion. I do not envision another failed experiment in goal for the Oilers this upcoming season.
Predictions
Talbot was highly coveted by many NHL teams. His services were in high demand and the Oilers were the ones that landed him. That in itself should speak volumes about his value. At the tender age of 28, he is already in his prime years.
Peter Chiarelli is going to continue upgrading at forward and defence. Talbot will be coming into a much better situation in Edmonton than we’ve seem in recent years for goaltenders. He will have a half decent team in front of him. Obviously more additions are needed to give Talbot the full support he needs to stop pucks. Playing on a weaker team will also determine just how good Talbot can be.
Only time will tell how Talbot does in Edmonton, but I am defiantly optimistic. I am confident that Talbot will excel and the Oilers will finally have a starting goaltender they so desperately have been craving for years.
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