Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Cam Talbot, B-
It has been a rough going of it for Cam Talbot. The former Rangers netminder thought he had the starting position after being traded to the Oilers, and so did the rest of Edmonton. The debate in training camp was which goalie was going to back him up. But now, it has taken a turn for Talbot.
The goaltender is 4-9-1 on the season with a 3.14 GAA and .897 save percentage. Those stats are the worst of his short career in the NHL; those numbers were incredibly better when he was with the Rangers backing up Henrik Lundqvist.
However, if you look at the stats,you will see that it is not entirely Cam Talbot’s fault. In fact, he is left out to dry by the Oilers defense most of the time. He did, however, impress with a career-high 47-save performance against Boston earlier in December, however, that was the only bright spot of this season for Talbot.
It seems as if those good old days are in the past, and he is having trouble now more than ever. He is getting the opportunity to redeem himself and take the starting spot back, but he will have to learn to play “hero” like he did in New York; this time, without a strong defense in front of him.