The Flyers pulled off a pre-deadline deal, bringing in veteran backup goalie Cam Talbot to play behind young star Carter Hart. Hart’s training partner during the off season, Talbot comes to Philadelphia with that oh-so coveted “veteran experience” many fans have been clamoring for, but will they get a chance to see him in action enough to convince General Manager Chuck Fletcher he should stick around?
Talbot’s best years seem to be behind him, considering the season he is having thus far. With the Edmonton Oilers this year, Talbot is 10-15-3 with a .893 save percentage and a 3.36 goals against average. Less than stellar numbers, but hey, veteran presence, right?
He hasn’t been this bad overall with Edmonton. His second season with the Oilers was phenomenal. He posted a 42-22-8 record with a goals against average of 2.39 and a save percentage of .919. Not to mention, he took the Oilers to the playoffs for the first time since 2006, even winning their first round series against the San Jose Sharks.
Overall with the Edmonton Oilers, Talbot was pretty good. Posting a 104-95-19 record for a save percentage of .912 and a goals against of 2.74. It’s safe to say that as the workload gets bigger, Talbot thrives.
But will Talbot see that many games with the Flyers?
Absolutely not. Carter Hart is the guy in Philadelphia until further notice. Talbot is there to back him up and plug in when Hart needs a break. After all, Talbot did well backing up Henrik Lundqvist. In two years with the New York Rangers, Talbot was 33-15-3 with a save percentage of .931 and an even 2 in goals against. Talbot has thrived both as a starter and as a backup. What more do we need to know?
For starters, why has Talbot been so bad this year with the Oilers? That can be attributed somewhat to a horrid defense in front of him. Edmonton is 8th worst in the league in goals against average, and have allowed the 9th most goals in the league. The Flyers are worse in both categories.
With 19 games left, and Hart expected to miss a few more, it may be ideal to shut Hart down for the year so he can recover, and give Talbot the reins. Brian Elliott doesn’t figure into the plans for next season, Mike McKenna may not either. Who knows where Michal Neuvirth is, and Alex Lyon is staying in the AHL. What better time to figure out what the Flyers have in Talbot than now?
If Talbot can come in and post solid numbers, he may earn himself a contract past the end of this season. It isn’t the worst case scenario. If Talbot comes in and flat out stinks, it may be worth dipping into the free agent market as opposed to keeping Talbot around.
Sure, having Hart’s practice buddy with the team is great for chemistry and all, but if he can’t stop a puck, how much is he really going to help a franchise that could end up putting themselves into playoff contention as soon as next season?
Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
