It’s safe to say that Oilers fans, myself included, thought that we’d be seeing a different version of Cam Talbot than the one who presided over the Oilers net in 2017/18. I don’t think any of us thought we’d be seeing a goalie whose current stats read as such:
- GAA: 3.09
- SV%: .895
- W: 5
- L: 7
- OT: 1
Now before we get into this, I didn’t see the post over at The Fourth Period nor the one that David Staples wrote in response to it. So that could make this post a bit redundant but in my defense, I only share what I’ve been told. Simple as that. It’s up to you if you’d like to believe what I’m sharing or you think it’s all BS and like I’ve said countless times before and I’ll say countless times again, things change all of the time and these “rumors” rarely come true. So don’t take them too seriously.
With regards to the timing of me reporting this latest rumor, yes, it’s my fault for not paying attention. So I’ll wear that but I think after last night’s game, the possibility of the Oilers listening to offers on Cam Talbot is that much higher, no? In fact, they’ve got to be listening to offers on a few players with the way the team is performing.
HERE’S THE THING THOUGH
Why on Earth would any team be looking at Cam Talbot with that stat line and think, “We need him!”?
The book is out on Cam Talbot. Glove hand high.
It’s been that way since he joined the team. For whatever reason, he always gets beat there or maybe that’s just my perception. Another thing that is still going on is the early goals. For Pete’s Love, why is he not ready from the get-go?
Now I don’t want to give you the impression that the Oilers woes are because Cam Talbot is performing at a Scrivens-like pace because it takes three to tango (or something like that).
- His team isn’t helping him.
- He’s not helping himself.
- The other shooters are DEFINITELY not helping him.
Cam Talbot is a top netminder in the NHL when he’s on his game but therein lies the rub. How do we know if he’s going to be on his game? If he’s making clutch saves in timely manners, that’s when and no more is that needed when his teammates are struggling in front of him.
When I talked to my source he said his teammates aren’t “playing for him” and that was pissing him off but can you blame anybody? Cam’s not stopping the puck, so the players are pissed and losing confidence in him. Cam’s pissed because he wants the backing of his teammates but can’t get it because the pucks are going in the net.
Sounds to me like there’s some real turmoil going on in that locker room despite what everyone is saying when the microphones are hot.
The return on a Cam Talbot trade isn’t going to be great. He’s got a modified no-trade clause this year meaning he’s submitted a list of teams he’s willing to go to.
So with that knowledge, could trading Cam Talbot be a way of getting some salary cap relief?
He makes $4.16M this year, the final year of his contract. That’s the kind of money that would give Chiarelli the flexibility to make a decent trade where he could shore up the wings or the defense.
Would it be a smart move though? Sure, he’s having a tough go at the moment but we know what he’s capable of. Would you be confident in a Koskinen/Montoya pairing moving forward given the importance of this season? I’m not sure I’d be.
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WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED?
Just off the top of my head, I think LA, Philadelphia, Calgary, New York, and St.Louis would have interest. In fact, and I had to ask why, I was told the Rangers are looking at Talbot.
Really? Admittedly, I don’t follow the Rags at all. They’ve got Hank and the Georgiev kid but maybe they feel like their backup needs more time in the minors and with their improved play and previous relationship with Talbot, he’d be a good fit to return. That’s a lot of money to pay for goaltending in any era though.
I could really see Philly, LA, and St.Louis as teams who’d have serious interest in Cam Talbot.
Would you do a Talbot for Maroon swap? What about Talbot and Strome for Allen and Fabbri?
Boy, the more you think about it, the Blues and the Oilers could really make a massive trade if they wanted to. This is just me thinking out loud but Robby Fabbri is having a tough go trying to come back from those two knee surgeries, Colton Parayko has never left the Oilers rumor mill, and Patty Maroon is a cult hero in Edmonton. I think Jake Allen just needs a change of scenery but he’s got three seasons left on a deal with $4.3M and his numbers are near-exactly the same as Talbots…
Not sure how the GMs would make the money work there but it sure would be fun to see a few of those Blues in an Oilers jersey. Wishful thinking on my part.
WHO ELSE IS GAINING INTEREST FROM OTHER GMs?
The short answer here, Ryan Strome. He’s been connected to the Kings but LA is reluctant to trade within the division.
I didn’t even notice if he was playing against Colorado last night, did you?
I’m pretty frustrated with how the team is performing but to my despair when I asked about a coaching change, I was told “unlikely” even though Joel Quenneville is available. My source said that Coach Q is going to cost big time. At least $7.5M if the Oilers want him.
What do you think? Do you think moving Talbot and making Mikko Koskinen would be a move that would improve the Oilers, make them worse, or do you reckon it’d be a lateral move?
Let us know in the comments!
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