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Mike Smith Signs With Edmonton Oilers

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The Edmonton Oilers have signed veteran goaltender Mike Smith on the first day of free agency. Smith will earn $2MM on a one-year contract

With Mikko Koskinen under contract as their 1A, the Oilers have been looking for a 1B option in goal, but with little money to spend and quite a few holes to fill, the team didn’t have the option of signing one of the high-priced goalies on the market. While Smith has been a solid goaltender in previous years and was even an all-star in the 2017-18 season, the 37-year-old has declined more recently. He appeared in 42 games last season, but saw his save percentage drop below .900 for the first time since the 2010-11 season as he finished the year with at .898. However, the team hopes that Smith can rebound while sharing the net with Koskinen.

Smith would replace Cam Talbot, who was reported earlier today as likely to sign with Calgary, who served as the backup in Edmonton last year until the team traded him to Philadelphia. The Oilers picked up Anthony Stolarz in the deal, but didn’t show much interest in bringing him back. Smith should provide some stability next to Koskinen, who the team locked up to a three-year, $13.5MM deal earlier this year.

Goalie Notes: Binnington, Carolina, Edmonton

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Jordan Binnington has been a revelation for the St. Louis Blues this season. A 25-year-old rookie who didn’t make his first NHL start until January, Binnington somehow managed to record 24 wins, a .927 save percentage, and a league-leading 1.89 GAA this season and has led the Blues to the Western Conference Final thus far in these playoffs. Binnington will be 26 before next season and has just 33 career appearances, yet he is a Calder Trophy candidate and undeniably St. Louis’ MVP in this amazing turnaround season. So how do you compensate a season like this? The Hockey News’ Matt Larkin wondered the same thing and explored three comparable contracts that the Blues may explore this off-season. The first belongs to a player with many similarities to Binnington, NHL journeyman Andrew Hammond. Hammond’s breakout season with the Ottawa Senators in 2015 was even more impressive than Binnington’s, that is until he lost his job to a healthy Craig Anderson in the postseason. A 26-year-old “prospect” with only 24 NHL appearances to his name, Hammond received just $1.35MM per year over three years from the Senators following his big season. However, Larkin points out that Hammond was not expected to be the starter in Ottawa, whereas Binnington is undoubtedly going to begin next season ahead of Jake Allen on the Blues’ depth chart. He also notes that Binnington has arbitration rights this season and no reasonable arbitrator would be convinced that Binnington is worth an equivalent contract to Hammond’s, which would only be about a $1.5MM AAV. On the other end of the spectrum, Larkin uses Winnipeg Jets’ starter Connor Hellebuyck as an example. Hellebuyck, another older prospect out of UMass – Lowell, Hellebuyck joined the Jets in 2015-16 at age 22 as the backup, struggled the next year as the part-time starter, and then had a breakout campaign last year in the final season of his entry-level contract. Winnipeg responded with a six-year deal worth more than $6MM annually for Hellebuyck. However, by the time he signed his extension, Hellebuyck had played in 149 games over three seasons, a much larger sample size than Binnington’s. He was also younger and entered the NHL with far great expectations compared to Binnington’s relative obscurity through a long AHL career. Thus, Hellebuyck also fails to be a convincing comparison for Binnington. Larkin finally settles on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Matt Murray. Murray also came out of nowhere as a rookie, albeit a 21-year-old rookie, to start 13 games down the stretch and then lead the Penguins to a Stanley Cup behind a stellar postseason. Despite Murray’s lack of NHL experience, the Penguins had seen enough to reward their young keeper with a three-year extension worth $3.75MM per year. While Binnington is significantly older and a less heralded prospect, he has a larger sample size and slightly better regular season numbers than Murray, making the deal a fair comparison. Under the current salary cap, which is likely to increase this summer, Murray’s deal would equate to about a $4.25MM AAV for Binnington. So what should Blues fans expect in a Binnington extension? The safe bet is somewhere between three and four years at $4-4.5MM per year, but a Stanley Cup title could still push that value even higher for the breakout keeper.

  • According to Shawn P. Roarke of NHL.com, Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour says there is a “pretty good chance” he goes back to Curtis McElhinney in net for an elimination Game Four against the Boston Bruins on Thursday. McElhinney has played well this postseason in relief of Petr Mrazek, including in Game Three. McElhinney made 29 saves and allowed just two goals on Tuesday night after Mrazek surrendered ten goals combined in Games One and Two. At this point, McElhinney does seem to give the Hurricanes the best chance to win against Boston, but is there more at stake here? Whether McElhinney or Mrazek are in net, the odds of Carolina winning Game Four are slim and the chances they win four in a row to advance are much, much worse. When the ’Canes are inevitably eliminated, they face a reality of both Mrazek and McElhinney being unrestricted free agents. If forced to choose between the two, one would certainly think that the team would prefer to bring back Mrazek, who outplayed McElhinney this season – and is nine years younger. However, they take the risk in going back to McElhinney, who lost nevertheless in Game Three, that Mrazek no longer feels like the top option in Carolina and looks for other opportunities on the open market. After a strong season, the Hurricanes can’t afford a downgrade in net, so unless they are open to spending more on a free agent upgrade to Mrazek – a Robin Lehner or Semyon Varlamov for example – they’ll need to be careful with how the approach his confidence as this playoff run winds down.
  • Is new Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland happy to enter next season with Mikko Koskinen and (Group 6 free agent) Anthony Stolarz in net? If not, he could have a hard time attracting free agents and might instead look to his old team for help. Steve Yzerman may also want to bring in fresh blood in Detroit, but the Red Wings are locked in to Jimmy Howard and Jonathan Bernier next season to the tune of $7MM. The ink is still drying on Howard’s extension with the team and his loyalty likely lies more with the city of Detroit than with Holland. After a nice season, it would be a surprise for Howard to be dealt away. However, Yzerman will likely be willing to move the disappointing Bernier and Holland would seemingly be interested. After all, it was Holland who signed the journeyman to a three-year, $9MM contract just last summer. He very well may feel that Bernier can still live up to that contract, even after a poor first season with the Red Wings. It would not come as much of a surprise if Bernier outperforms Koskinen next season, so if Holland can re-acquire the veteran net minder on the cheap, it could make sense for the Oilers.

Philadelphia Flyers Have Nothing To Lose This Off-Season

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After re-signing forward Michael Raffl to a two-year extension today, the Philadelphia Flyers are in an enviable position heading into the off-season. New GM Chuck Fletcher has his team in position to enter the summer free agent market without any risk of losing any valuable unrestricted free agents. Add that to ample cap space and a deep pipeline of talent at all positions and the Flyers are in position to only get better this summer and the Eastern Conference should be on alert.

Of course, there are still areas of need in Philadelphia. The one gaping hole is in net, where the team needs a long-term option to pair with young phenom Carter Hart. Of their small list of UFA’s, four are goaltenders: Brian Elliott, recent trade acquisition Cam Talbot, injured Michal Neuvirth, and buried Mike McKenna. However, the price of acquiring Talbot earlier this year – young keeper Anthony Stolarz – has led many to believe that the Flyers see Talbot as that long-term fit. An extension has yet to be signed, but the Flyers very well may have the answer to their question in goal already on the roster.

Elsewhere, forward Phil Varone is perhaps the closest thing to a difficult free agent loss that Philly could suffer this off-season. Varone, 28, had 50 NHL games to his credit over five years prior to this season but has ended up skating in 43 more so far with the Flyers while on a minimum two-way contract. It’s possible that Varone could bolt this summer, but a one-way contract would likely be enough to keep him around and, if he does leave, his seven points would not be hard to make up for. Jori Lehtera has the most name recognition among impending free agent forwards, but the 31-year-old has not been the same players since the move to Philadelphia two years ago and was buried in the minors after recording just three points through his first 27 games of the season. Lehtera won’t be back with the Flyers and is likely on his way out of the NHL altogether. Other UFA forwards include Corban Knight, Tyrell Goulbourne, Michael Vecchione, Byron Froese, Greg Carey, and Cole Bardreau, a group of 25-and-over players who have combined for one point in 19 NHL games this season. Carey, the leading scorer of the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, is perhaps the only one of group that the Flyers could see as a loss if not retained.

What the Flyers really need, even with many promising forward prospects, is to add another proven top-six forward to the roster and should be able to do so with significant salary cap flexibility. Even after negotiating new contracts with their restricted free agents, the Flyers should have enough cap room to bid for one of the top forwards on the market if they so choose. Even if they lose out on a top name, their offense cannot be any worse than it was this year and it was still good enough to give the Flyers a shot at the postseason.

On the blue line, the Flyers are deep and versatile with a mix of talented young players and established veterans. Not one defenseman in the entire organization is an unrestricted free agent, so that group will be back in full force next season, possibly with some additions.

Simply put, there is no way that Philadelphia can get any worse going into next season barring a bad trade, an RFA holdout, or some other unexpected calamity. They do not have one unrestricted free agent whose loss could really hurt them (unless a Talbot deal falls through). On the other hand, their cap space and depth of prospects give them a great chance to improve next season one way or another. Right now, the Flyers are a fringe playoff team, which is not any team’s goal. However, Philly should enter 2019-20 with that as their floor and, depending on what they do over the summer, could have a much higher ceiling. And that is a good place to be.

Oilers Notes: Chiasson, Goaltending, Free Agent Target

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Despite their decision to hold onto him at the trade deadline, the Oilers have yet to engage in any discussions regarding a contract extension for winger Alex Chiasson, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.  The 28-year-old is in the midst of a career season with 20 goals and 13 assists in 64 games and has provided Edmonton with some much-needed secondary scoring.  While it’s certainly possible that the team is waiting until a new GM is hired before commencing negotiations, interim GM Keith Gretzky has the green light to make personnel decisions like this.  While a 20-goal scorer could typically stand to land a nice deal on the open market, the fact that Chiasson has bounced around as of late will lower his value somewhat and may make him more open to signing a reasonable extension if the team decides to open up discussions.

More from Edmonton:

  • Despite his recent struggles, Mikko Koskinen is expected to remain the starter moving forward, per a TSN report. While that in itself isn’t entirely noteworthy, it will, however, make it difficult for the Oilers to retain Anthony Stolarz’s rights as a restricted free agent.  He needed to play at least 30 minutes in 10 games following his acquisition from Philadelphia to avoid unrestricted free agency.  Tuesday’s relief appearance was only his third and with only nine games left, it will be difficult for the team to get Stolarz seven more games with that much playing time if they intend to keep Koskinen as the starter.
  • Postmedia’s Jim Matheson believes that Edmonton will likely take a run at signing winger Daniel Carr this summer. The Alberta native signed with Vegas last summer in the hopes of finding a more permanent NHL role but has played only six games with the big club.  Instead, he leads the AHL in scoring with 71 points in 52 games and with the Oilers in need of cheap offensive-minded wingers, it appears that Carr could be a natural fit.

Trade Rumors: Hart, Elliott, Tolvanen, Rangers, Senators

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Some bad news on one player could turn out to be a blessing in disguise in regards to another. The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that rookie sensation Carter Hart will be out at least ten days with a lower-body injury. Hart has been playing phenomenally this season and his absence could end what little hope the Flyers had of reaching the postseason this year. However, it will force the team to start Brian Elliott tonight in their Stadium Series game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philly’s final game before the deadline. Recent acquisition Cam Talbot is still new to the team and unable to jump in net just yet. However, Talbot’s presence makes Elliott expendable and the Flyers are known to be shopping him. The team tried to move Elliott to the Edmonton Oilers as part of the Talbot return, but ended up trading away the younger Anthony Stolarz. However, with playoff-bound teams like the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights in need of reinforcements in net, Elliott is very much still in play. A strong performance on a grand stage tonight could be enough to convince those kicking the tires to take a shot on Elliott. Moreso, the injury news on Hart could be the final straw for new GM Chuck Fletcher, as he is still allegedly unsure of whether to sell or not at the deadline. With Elliott, Wayne Simmonds, Michael Raffl, and several others drawing interest, Fletcher should be more encouraged to part with those pieces now that his stud goaltender is out for what could be weeks.

  • The New York Rangers are one of the most talked-about teams as the deadline approaches, as rentals Kevin Hayes, Mats Zuccarello, and Adam McQuaid and even term players like Chris Kreider and Vladislav Namestnikov are drawing considerable interest. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that the Nashville Predators are one of the teams in talks with the Rangers, but it appears that one of their best assets may be off the table. Brooks reports that the Predators will not trade 2017 first-round pick Eeli Tolvanen for a rental this season. Nashville does not have interest in Hayes, but has looked into Zuccarello, however they won’t offer up Tolvanen to land him. Brooks believes Tolvanen would only be available to the Rangers in a deal for Kreider. The talented Finnish forward has only seen limited NHL action thus far, but is still coveted by sellers – not only the Rangers – for his potential. In this scenario, it’s the sellers who may have to ante up with a signed player to get the prized prospect. As for the Rangers, they may have better luck getting a top return for Zuccarello elsewhere. Brooks states that the Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins are among the teams pursuing the veteran winger, while a report yesterday stated some contenders are willing to pay the price to package Zucarello and Hayes together.
  • Meanwhile, the price for McQuaid has gone up significantly today following the trade of Ben Lovejoy to the Dallas Stars. McQuaid is arguably the top rental defenseman left on the market, currently ranked No. 21 overall on TSN’s Trade Bait List. With the trade statuses of Alex Edler, Niklas Kronwall, Cody Ceci, and others still unclear, McQuaid looks like the top target for defense-needy teams versus the likes of Michael Del Zotto and Bogdan Kiselevich. McQuaid is by no means a star or season-changing acquisition, but he is likely the best available defenseman even as just a physical, stay-at-home defender. If the New Jersey Devils can draw a third-round pick and young roster player for Lovejoy, the Rangers are suddenly looking at second-round territory with McQuaid. To protect their top trade assets, New York will not play McQuaid, Zuccarello, or Hayes today, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
  • Many have felt that the allure of the free agent market for Matt Duchene and Mark Stone and the caliber of return the Ottawa Senators could get for trading them left Ryan Dzingel as the most likely of the trio to re-sign with the team. That certainly isn’t going to be the case. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Dzingel recently turned down a five-year extension offer worth more than $20MM, a significant pay raise over his current $1.8MM cap hit. After that, the team made the definitive decision to trade him before the deadline. Garrioch adds that Stone also rejected the Senators’ last offer, and eight-year pact of unknown value, but the team has not yet completely closed the door on a new deal. They continue to take offers on the star winger though, as Garrioch writes that the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins, and Tampa Bay Lightning are the team’s most involved in Stone talks. He believes the Bruins are also interested in Dzingel. It remains to be seen who ends up with Stone or Dzingel and how the returns compare to that of Duchene, but one way or another the Senators are walking away from the deadline with a complete lack of star power on the roster, but a massive influx of picks and prospects to show for it.

Five Key Stories: 2/11/19 – 2/17/19

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With the trade deadline now just over a week away, activity has started to pick up around the NHL.  Rumors of major trades continue, but so far just a few deals have been completed.

Lafreniere To Stay In CHL: Potential 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere set the record straight after rumors were circulating that the 17-year-old may opt to sign a contract overseas and follow the footsteps of Auston Matthews who played his draft year in the Swiss NLA. Lafreniere’s agent, Momentum Hockey Agency, released a statement making it clear that while the young talent did look into playing overseas, he and his family decided to stay in the CHL with Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL where he’s played the last two years, having totaled 74 goals and 172 points in 110 games. At 6-foot-1, he already has the size and proven ability to play in a professional league, but he will stay put for one more year.

Pastrnak, Maatta Injured: The Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins each took a hit to their team when each team lost a significant player to injury. The Boston Bruins lost David Pastrnak for a minimum of two weeks after he underwent thumb surgery on Feb. 12 after he fell at a team function. The Bruins, who are fighting with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second spot in the Atlantic Division won’t be helped even if its for a few weeks without Pastrnak, who is the team’s leading scorer with 31 goals as well as 66 points, second on the team. The Penguins also took a hit on their blueline when they placed Olli Maatta on injured reserve with an upper-body injury that would sideline him indefinitely. The team was getting back Justin Schultz from injury at the time, but the team was looking forward to getting back a fully healthy defense, which now they won’t have for some time. To make matters worse, the team had recently dealt away Jamie Oleksiak to make room for Schultz, leaving the team with a lack of depth all of the sudden.

Wild Owner Approves Selling: Just hours after Minnesota Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau guaranteed that the Wild would make the playoffs, Wild owner Craig Leipold announced that he has given general manager Paul Fenton the green light to sell off some of the team’s players in advance of the upcoming trade deadline. With the team dropping four straight and having a 2-5-3 record in their last 10 games, it might be time for Fenton to make his mark on this team after being hired this summer to fix the team’s inability to advance deep into the playoffs. Among the numerous players who could be shipped off include pending unrestricted free agent Eric Staal as well as Charlie Coyle, who still has one more year on his deal. There are also a number of bottom six players who could be moved as well, including Eric Fehr, Matt Hendricks, Brad Hunt, Matt Bartkowski and Anthony Bitetto.

Philadelphia’s Hart Gets A Mentor: The Philadelphia Flyers finally consummated a rumored trade in which it acquired Edmonton Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot for Anthony Stolarz. While Edmonton freed themselves some much needed cap room as Talbot was making $4.17MM, the Flyers got themselves what they hope will be a long-term veteran who can mentor their prized rookie Carter Hart for the next few years. Talbot, who was already familiar with Hart before, waived his no-movement clause to come to Philadelphia and made it clear that he was open to signing a new contract before July 1 to remain with the team.

Ottawa Intends To Trade Duchene: The Ottawa Senators have stopped in their attempts to sign Matt Duchene to an extension and have indicated to all teams that they intend to trade the 26-year-old center. According to reports, the Senators have shifted their focus of signing Duchene to making a full effort to locking up Mark Stone to an extension. Stone may have a day or two to make up his mind on whether he is willing to sign an extension or he too, will be made available to the league with the intention of selling them off at the trade deadline. Already there has been rumors that the Nashville Predators, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Islanders have expressed serious interest in acquiring the center with more suitors likely to join in before the upcoming trade deadline on Feb. 25.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eastern Notes: Talbot, Skinner, Mittelstadt, Gagner

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The Philadelphia Flyers made a big trade late Friday when they sent current backup Anthony Stolarz to Edmonton in exchange for veteran goaltender Cam Talbot. The team hopes that Talbot can provide rookie Carter Hart with some guidance and help Hart’s transition to the NHL. The only problem is that Talbot will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and the team has to decide make sure they can lock up Talbot for the future.

Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that he spoke to Talbot who said that he choose to come to Philadelphia for a chance of a long-term stay and is open to signing an extension with the Flyers before July 1. Carchidi adds that Talbot said  it was a “tough season” in Edmonton and is looking for a fresh start with the Flyers and wants to take on the mentor role for Hart, who he is already familiar with.

  • Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News cautions fans to be patient when it comes to the Buffalo Sabres re-signing winger Jeff Skinner. The 26-year-old is one goal shy of his career-high of 37 goals and looks to have taken his game to another level. Unfortunately for Buffalo, Skinner has yet to sign an extension, which worries fans, especially now that the team is struggling. However, Harrington writes that the fact that Buffalo is falling out of the playoff picture will have no impact on Skinner’s decision. He wants to be in Buffalo and has told his agent that as well. He’s two hours from his home in Toronto and loves it in Buffalo next to Jack Eichel.
  • Sticking with Buffalo, Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News reports that rookie center Casey Mittelstadt is expected to return to the lineup Sunday after missing the last two games with a lower-body injury. The 20-year-old Mittelstadt has eight goals and 19 points so far this season, but has been holding down the second-line center position for much of the season. although a pending return of Kyle Okposo could bump him to the third line.
  • One loser of the Ryan Spooner for Sam Gagner trade earlier today between the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers are the Toronto Marlies, according to the Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran. The AHL franchise, who is coming off a Calder Cup Championship last year, is trying hard to repeat and had the good fortune that Vancouver was willing to accommodate Gagner, who wanted to stay close to home in Toronto if he wasn’t going to play in the NHL. Vancouver opted to loan Gagner to the Marlies where he was the team’s second-line center. The trade takes a way a key veteran player for their run, who had posted 12 goals and 37 points in 43 games.

Flyers Acquire Cam Talbot

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Following their loss to Carolina on Friday night, the Oilers pulled the trigger on trading goalie Cam Talbot, sending him to Philadelphia in exchange for netminder Anthony Stolarz. Both teams have announced the swap.

This move had been speculated over the past couple of days although it was believed that the Flyers preferred to send veteran Brian Elliott in the deal instead. Edmonton was facing a cap crunch with the pending return of defenseman Andrej Sekera as they needed to clear some room to activate him off LTIR. This move does that and more as the deal frees up just over $3.4MM in full-season cap space so when Sekera is indeed activated, they’ll still have a couple million at their disposal.

Beyond that, the deal is intriguing for both sides. In Talbot, the Flyers acquire what should be an upgrade for their backup position over Elliott and the oft-injured Michal Neuvirth which will help in the short term as they can ease Carter Hart’s workload down the stretch if they so desire. It will also allow them to get a look at the pending unrestricted free agent to see if he’s the right fit to work with Hart for the next few seasons. The two goalies know each other well already so there’s a good chance that this played into the decision.

Talbot will need to fare a lot better with Philadelphia than he did with Edmonton if he wants to come close to matching his current AAV of $4.167MM though. He lost the number one role to Mikko Koskinen while his GAA (3.36) and SV% (.893) are the worst of his career. However, his career numbers are much more impressive with a 2.59 GAA and a .915 SV% in 284 games between the Oilers and Rangers and the Flyers are hoping he’ll be able to return to that type of level. When he does suit up in a game for them, he will be the eighth different goalie they’ve used this season which will set an NHL record.

As for the Oilers, they too get to evaluate a potential fit for next season in beyond in Stolarz. The 25-year-old has battled injury issues over the past two seasons, playing in just 21 games combined over that span (including his stints in the AHL and ECHL). He was inconsistent with the Flyers this season, posting a 3.33 GAA with a .902 SV% in a dozen appearances and it’s likely he’s going to see a lot of action with Edmonton down the stretch.

Stolarz has to play at least 30 minutes in 10 of Edmonton’s remaining 25 games in order to avoid qualifying for Group Six unrestricted free agency this summer. Accordingly, expect Ken Hitchcock to be calling his name early and often in the weeks to come.  If he reaches that target and becomes a restricted free agent once again, the Oilers will owe him a qualifying offer of just over $799K.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers Discussing Cam Talbot Trade

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Friday: Dreger reiterated today that the Flyers and Oilers continue to talk of a Talbot trade. He claims the two sides are in a “holding pattern” and are trying to work out the kinks. The biggest new piece of news is that Stolarz, Philly’s impending RFA goaltender, is expected to be a piece of the return for Edmonton. Stolarz would presumably take over the backup job behind Koskinen this season, fitting under the salary cap without issue, and then challenge for the job again next year.

Thursday: The Philadelphia Flyers have already used seven goalies this season, so why not make it eight? According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Flyers and Edmonton Oilers are “definitely talking” about a Cam Talbot trade. The 31-year-old keeper is an impending free agent and known to be at the top of the Oilers’ deadline sale list, while the Flyers are not exactly looking for short-term help, but a long-term tandem option.

Were these talks purely for the purpose of Philadelphia using Talbot as a rental, they wouldn’t make much sense. The Flyers are eight points back of the rival Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild card slot in the Eastern Conference and would have to leapfrog the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres to get there. The team is also already carrying three goaltenders – Carter Hart, Anthony Stolarz, and Mike McKenna – and has season-opening starter Brian Elliott on a conditioning stint. As it is, the team is probably going to have to place McKenna on waivers when Elliott is ready to return. They also have Alex Lyon in the minors and could get Michal Neuvirth back from injury by the end of the year.

The Flyers don’t need a goalie right now; what they do need is a goalie for the future. The rookie Hart has been phenomenal at just 20 years old and is a core piece in Philly moving forward, but he needs a reliable veteran presence for the next few years as well. Elliott and Neuvirth (and McKenna) are all unrestricted free agents and Stolarz is an RFA with an injury history. The Flyers were destined to bring in a new goalie for next season and beyond and have apparently tabbed Talbot as a top option. Dreger notes that Talbot and Hart already share a good relationship, making it an ideal pairing of a promising young goalie in need of a mentor and a capable veteran who can no longer support a full work load. Talbot initially arrived in Edmonton after a breakout year as the backup for the New York Rangers, but truly broke out as a Vezina candidate in 2016-17 with a .919 save percentage and 2.37 GAA in 73 games. It would be the first of back-to-back seasons in which Talbot would lead the NHL in games played and this season he has felt the effects of being overworked. Talbot has an .893 save percentage and 3.36 GAA on the year, much of the reason why he lost out on an extension to backup Mikko Koskinen. Talbot needs a new home moving forward, and preferably one with a share in net, but there are questions about how much interest he will garner on the free agent market. Philadelphia appears to be the ideal landing spot, especially if he gets to play there before the end of the season. The Flyers would also benefit from an early opportunity to sign Talbot, rather than just waiting for free agency.

As for the Oilers, there is no hiding the fact that Edmonton is struggling to manage the cap and their roster right now. The team needs to make room for defenseman Andrej Sekera, but need to clear cap space and a roster spot to do so and have only through this weekend to figure it out. Trading Talbot, who the team has already determined is not a long-term fit, would be the easiest way to accommodate Sekera, which explains why trade talks are heating up. What the return will be for the veteran netminder remains to be seen. Since the Flyers could just wait until the off-season to sign Talbot, it likely won’t be impressive. However, with the Oilers maintaining that they are a buyer at the deadline, it will be interesting to see if Elliot or another Flyers goalie ends up as part of a hypothetical package. Edmonton’s odds at the postseason are slim, but asking Koskinen to start nearly every game down the stretch backed up by Al Montoya or unproven Shane Starrett certainly won’t help.

Carter Hart Expected To Remain With Flyers For Rest Of Season

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With the impending return of goaltender Brian Elliott as well as the potential return of Michal Neuvirth and the presence of Anthony Stolarz, there are some who are worried that the Philadelphia Flyers might consider sending 20-year-old Carter Hart back to the AHL to make room for some of their veterans. Of course, Hart’s numbers would suggest that might be a mistake as he has won eight-straight games, which ties him for the NHL record for the most consecutive games won by a goalie under 21 years old (Jocelyn Thibault also had eight straight wins in 1995).

However, Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports that Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher confirmed reports today that Hart has been told that he’s staying in Philadelphia for the rest of the season.

“Yes most likely,” Fletcher said. “But he will be eligible for AHL playoffs if we don’t make it in Philly.”

Heralded as the CHL Goaltender of the Year two straight years, the belief was that Hart would need to play one full season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. However, with numerous injuries in net in Philadelphia and a change in leadership both in the front office and eventually behind the bench, Hart was recalled on Dec. 18 and has put up impressive numbers, including an 11-5-1 record, a 2.45 GAA and a .926 save percentage in 17 games. His current eight-game winning streak has vaulted the Flyers, long thought out of a playoff spot, back into the race as they are just six points out of a wildcard spot, although there are a number of teams in between them.

The team has already indicated they will consider keeping three goaltenders on the roster as Elliott is expected to return to game action next week. Regardless, the team has gotten solid play from both Hart and Stolarz recently and Philadelphia has made it clear, they don’t want to overwhelm the youngster by playing him too much, so adding a third goaltender shouldn’t have detrimental effects.

 

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