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Cam Talbot

Cam Talbot Drawing Trade Interest

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The Ottawa Senators likely made a mistake when they traded Filip Gustavsson for Cam Talbot in the offseason. The much younger Gustavsson has outperformed expectations with the Minnesota Wild, essentially supplanting Marc-Andre Fleury as the team’s starter and posting a .928 save percentage over 27 appearances. Talbot, meanwhile, has struggled with injury for Ottawa, and has a .905 through 29 appearances.

The gamble, though, always came with an out clause for the Senators. If the team wasn’t in a position to contend for the Stanley Cup or extension talks went south with the veteran goaltender, they could always flip him at the deadline to a team looking for some experience in the crease. Talbot does not hold any trade protection in his contract, and the front-loaded deal is inexpensive enough to make it work even for cap-strapped contenders.

That appears to be what will happen over the next week, as several reports suggest that Talbot is on his way out of town. Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest tweets that Talbot is “likely on the move” at the deadline and lists the Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, and Buffalo Sabres as potential fits. Strickland adds that the goaltender recently turned down an extension; Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia confirms that the Senators spoke with Talbot’s camp last month and couldn’t find any traction on a new deal.

Kevin Weekes of ESPN also has heard that Talbot is drawing interest from around the league, listing the Kings, Golden Knights, and Calgary Flames as potential destinations.

While there are some red flags for Talbot’s future in the league—he’ll turn 36 in July, has dealt with injuries, and is in the midst of one of the worst seasons of his career—there’s also reason to believe he could help a club looking to shore up their goaltending depth for a postseason run. As recently as 2021, Talbot posted a .923 save percentage in seven postseason games for the Wild, as they pushed the Golden Knights to the brink in a first-round matchup. Though his experience is relatively limited (33 games), he does have a career .921 in the playoffs.

If the Senators can recoup an asset, the trade won’t go down as a total bust. Still, watching Gustavsson succeed in Minnesota has to be a bit painful, even with the handful of young goaltenders in the Ottawa system that have shown well in limited opportunities this season.

Atlantic Notes: Toronto’s Trade Chips, Senators, Paul

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The Maple Leafs are certainly going to be looking to buy heading into next month’s trade deadline but as a result of the team making some splashes in recent years, their prospect pool and collection of draft picks isn’t the deepest to deal from.  Speaking with reporters today (video link), GM Kyle Dubas indicated that he can’t see the team dealing away their top chips, either their first-round pick or top prospect Matthew Knies.  He wouldn’t entirely rule out the idea of one of those pieces moving but for the time being, it appears that they’re not going to be in play.  Toronto has three other guaranteed selections plus potentially their own third-round pick depending on if Arizona opts to take it or a 2025 second-rounder as part of a previous swap.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Still with the Maple Leafs, while Knies has been speculated to be turning pro at the conclusion of his college season, he told TSN’s Mark Masters that he hasn’t decided which route to take yet and will wait until after Minnesota’s campaign comes to an end before considering his decision. The 20-year-old averaged a point per game in his rookie year last season and is ahead of that pace in 2022-23 with 17 goals and 13 assists in 28 contests.
  • Senators defenseman Artem Zub is expected to return to the lineup on Saturday, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). He has been out for a little under a month with a lower-body injury, his third extended absence of the season which has limited him to just 21 games so far.  Meanwhile, Garrioch tweets that while goalie Cam Talbot also skated today, he won’t play this weekend.  The veteran is dealing with a lower-body issue of his own and with Ottawa potentially wanting to move him by next month’s deadline, they’ll want to be cautious and make sure he’s fully healthy before bringing him back.  Talbot has retroactively been moved to injured reserve but can be activated as soon as he’s ready to return.
  • Lightning winger Nick Paul was a late scratch before tonight’s game against Colorado with the team announcing (Twitter link) that he’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old has been a capable secondary scorer in his first season with the team, notching 16 goals with 10 assists in 50 games.  Notably, with less than $720K in LTIR room per CapFriendly, Tampa Bay does not have enough space to call up a replacement for him on the roster.

Senators Notes: Talbot, Greig, Kastelic

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The Ottawa Senators are expecting Cam Talbot to resume skating next Thursday after the break, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. Talbot last played on January 25 and there is no clear timeline for his return to action, so getting on the ice is a good sign.

Ottawa has received nearly identical goaltending performances from Talbot and Anton Forsberg, but will need a little boost if they are going to try and ride their recent hot streak to a playoff spot in the second half. The team has won four in a row and is now just six points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wildcard spot.

  • One of the players that have been key in this recent run is prospect Ridly Greig, who is still undefeated at the NHL level. The 20-year-old has two points in four games so far and has brought new excitement to the group. He was sent down to the AHL last night, but Garrioch notes that Greig will only practice with the Belleville Senators, not play, and then the organization will reassess.
  • Mads Sogaard and Mark Kastelic have also been reassigned to Belleville, but it’s not clear if the latter will return immediately following the break. Kastelic hasn’t played since January 21 and will likely need some time to get back into game form.

East Notes: Senators, Horvat, Perbix

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There’s some good news and bad news on the injury front for Ottawa.  On the positive side, TSN’s Claire Hanna relays (Twitter link) that defenseman Artem Zub is expected to be ready to return after the All-Star break.  It has been a tough year on the ice for the 27-year-old who has been limited to just 21 games this season while missing time with three separate injuries, the current one being an upper-body issue.  It hasn’t been all bad, however, as he inked a four-year, $18.4MM extension with the Senators last month.

Meanwhile, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relays (Twitter link) that goaltender Cam Talbot might not be ready to return after the break.  He suffered a lower-body injury last Wednesday and it’s the second time this season that injuries have held him out of the lineup.  If the Senators are going to climb back into the playoff race, they’ll need him healthy while if they’re going to try to move him by the March 3rd trade deadline, he’ll need to get back and show potential suitors that he’s ready to go.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Speaking with reporters including Harman Dayal of The Athletic (Twitter link) following today’s trade, Islanders center Bo Horvat indicated that there weren’t any discussions regarding a possible extension before the move was made. The 27-year-old is set to earn a significant raise on his current $5.5MM AAV and is well on his way to a career year as he already has 31 goals and 23 assists so far this season.  New York has a little over $67MM in commitments next season per CapFriendly and a new deal for Horvat would take up more than half of the space of what’s projected to be an $83.5MM cap for 2023-24.
  • Nick Perbix’s time in the minors was short-lived as the Lightning recalled him today, per the AHL’s transactions log. The defenseman was sent down yesterday when Rudolfs Balcers came off LTIR following the conclusion of his conditioning stint; Perbix had to go down to keep them cap-compliant.  Now that Balcers is off the roster (he was sent down after clearing waivers), the 24-year-old could be brought back.  Tampa Bay could have kept him down through the All-Star break if they wanted but there wouldn’t have been a cap benefit to do so as they’re still in LTIR where cap room can’t be banked.

East Notes: Talbot, Brodie, Murray, Wilson

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It’s not shaping up to be a particularly strong trade market for veteran goaltenders but Postmedia’s Ken Warren posits that Senators netminder Cam Talbot could be in play, suggesting the possibility of the veteran re-signing seems less likely now than just a few weeks ago.  The 35-year-old – who has already been ruled out of the next two games – has a 2.90 GAA and a .905 SV% in 28 games with Ottawa this season, numbers that are close to league average.  While it would likely take some retention on his $3.667MM AAV, the pending unrestricted free agent could certainly serve as an upgrade on the second-string option for several contenders and essentially keep Talbot in the role that he was acquired to fill for the Sens this season.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • The Maple Leafs could get a key defenseman back in the lineup tomorrow against Washington as TSN’s Mark Masters relays (Twitter link) that T.J. Brodie is planning to suit up pending medical clearance. The veteran skated on the top pairing at practice today and would be a welcome addition to Toronto’s back end.  Brodie is averaging over 21 minutes a night (third-most among their defenders) and has eight points in 28 games so far.  Brodie is currently on IR and the Leafs have a full roster so they’d have to send someone down to activate the blueliner.
  • Still with the Maple Leafs, Sports Illustrated’s David Alter notes that goaltender Matt Murray is dealing with an ankle issue. He was supposed to get the start last night against Ottawa but exited warmups early, resulting in Ilya Samsonov getting the nod once again.  It’s unknown at this point if Murray will be available to dress on Sunday against Washington.  He has a 2.73 GAA and a .911 SV% in 19 games so far this season, numbers that are nearly identical to his career averages.
  • Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters including NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link) that they have ruled out winger Tom Wilson for their final two games before the All-Star break. The 28-year-old left Tuesday’s game against Colorado after blocking a shot off his right leg.  The team plans to re-evaluate him after the break.  Wilson has played in just eight games this season after missing time with an ACL injury and has two goals and an assist so far.

Ottawa Senators Recall Kevin Mandolese

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The Ottawa Senators lost Cam Talbot partway through last night’s game, and according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, the veteran netminder will be out at least through the All-Star break. Unfortunately, he isn’t the only goaltender in the Senators organization dealing with an injury.

Both Antoine Bibeau and Mads Sogaard are hurt, meaning the only recall option was Kevin Mandolese. Garrioch reports that Anton Forsberg is expected to make both starts of the upcoming back-to-back in Toronto and Ottawa.

Mandolese, 22, hasn’t appeared in the NHL yet, and is barely even holding onto an AHL spot. Through 12 games with the Belleville Senators, he has posted an .886 save percentage. That performance has earned him some extra time in the ECHL, where he has a .927 in six games.

In short, he’s not who the Senators need in the crease right now as they continue to try and compete in the Atlantic Division. Forsberg will have to try and take down the Maple Leafs and Canadiens on his own, and the club will have to hope that Talbot can return soon after the break.

Cam Talbot Suffers A Lower-Body Injury

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It has been a tough season on the injury front for the Senators who have had several key players banged up at times.  They lost another key piece on Wednesday night as the team announced (Twitter link) that goaltender Cam Talbot sustained a lower-body injury against the Islanders.  He exited the game in the second period and did not return.

Ottawa acquired the 35-year-old in an effort to build a quality tandem between the pipes with Anton Forsberg.  However, things haven’t gone according to plan as the team entered play tonight a little below league average in goals allowed with both netminders taking a step back relative to their play from a year ago.  Talbot had just a .903 SV% heading into Wednesday’s contest, the second-lowest of his career while Forsberg’s SV% has dipped 18 points from a year ago.  Between that and a surprising lack of improvement offensively, the Sens are battling to avoid being last in the Atlantic Division.

Notably, it’s a contract year for Talbot who is set to hit the open market this summer.  Suffering a second injury (he missed nine games with a rib issue earlier this season) on top of him struggling a bit more certainly isn’t helping his market as he looks to get a raise on his $3.67MM AAV.  While it’s unknown how long he’ll be out at this point, an extended absence could take a potential trade deadline swap off the table as well.

It’s also worth mentioning that Mads Sogaard, Ottawa’s top goalie prospect with AHL Belleville, is injured at the moment and hasn’t played in the last week and a half.  That means their recall options will be veteran Antoine Bibeau or Kevin Mandolese who has split the last two seasons between the AHL and ECHL and is still looking for his first NHL appearance despite three recalls already in 2022-23.

Latest On Cam Talbot

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The Ottawa Senators have had an up-and-down season. After it looked at first like the team couldn’t escape the ghosts of disappointing seasons past, strong play over the past few weeks has them back in the extended playoff conversation.

A big part of this improved performance has been the goaltending duo of Anton Forsberg and Cam Talbot, who has helped bring out each other’s best in a tandem role. Talbot’s started 20 out of Ottawa’s 38 games despite missing time early in the season with an injury, and both he and Forsberg have recorded save percentages above the .910 mark.

It’s goaltending that’s good enough to get you into the playoffs, and it’s goaltending that’s good enough to win you a round or two. That’s why it’s not surprising that Talbot, an ageing veteran netminder on a young and developing team, wants to stick around to see it through. Talbot told reporters today, including Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, that he’s ready to sign a contract extension with the Senators if the team is interested in retaining him.

While there haven’t been any formal talks, Talbot’s ability to sign an extension was hampered by his not being ready for the start of the season.

The team likely still wants to see a bit more than a 20-game sample size before committing to him for another handful of years. With Forsberg signed until 2025, at least half of their goaltending situation is set until then. While Talbot has been a good fit, a tandem/1B netminder (perhaps a younger one) is generally attainable in free agency.

If Talbot is able to maintain strong numbers through February, a one- or two-year extension is likely a somewhat safe bet for the Senators to get cost and personnel certainty at a pivotal position.

Ottawa Senators Activate Cam Talbot

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It’s been a tough stretch for the Ottawa Senators, who now find themselves at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings despite a positive goal differential. The team has lost three in a row and hasn’t gotten the goaltending they were hoping for so far.

Part of that is due to the absence of Cam Talbot, something that was rectified today as the Senators activated the veteran netminder from injured reserve. Talbot has been out since the beginning of October after arriving in Ottawa through an offseason trade with the Minnesota Wild.

While Anton Forsberg will still start tonight’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Talbot is going to dress and be the backup. He is expected to start on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The 35-year-old Talbot has been a reliable option throughout his career, posting a .915 save percentage in nearly 400 regular season appearances. Last season with the Wild he went 32-12-4 with a .911 before essentially being replaced by deadline acquisition Marc-Andre Fleury.

Now with Ottawa, he should get a good chunk of the starts from here on out. If he can improve on the .909 that Forsberg has provided so far, the Senators look as though they can make some noise in a playoff chase.

One thing stopping them from doing that is the absence of defensive stalwart Artem Zub, who is still expected to miss another few games, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.

Snapshots: Gronborg, Heiskanen, Talbot

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One of the names that used to come up every summer in connection to vacant NHL coaching jobs is Rikard Gronborg, former long-time coach of the Swedish national team programs. Gronborg has plenty of experience on this side of the ocean, after playing college hockey at St. Cloud State, coaching in the AWHL, and serving as an assistant in the WHL. For the last few years, his candidacy hasn’t been brought up for a while because of his commitment as head coach of the ZSC Lions in Switzerland, one of the most successful and popular teams in Europe.

Today, news has broken that Gronborg won’t be back with the Lions and instead is likely taking a multi-year contract with Tappara Tampere in Finland. However, the report out of Switzerland also states that if the NHL were to come calling, Gronborg’s new contract with Tappara has an out clause to let him pursue a North American opportunity. With seven World Championship medals, six World Juniors medals, and an Olympic silver, Gronborg has one of the most impressive international coaching resumes of all time. Whether that ever translates into an opportunity in the NHL remains to be seen.

  • Miro Heiskanen is still listed as day-to-day for the Dallas Stars and isn’t expected to play tonight, he could be back on Saturday according to head coach Pete DeBoer, who spoke with reporters including Saad Yousuf of The Athletic. Without Heiskanen in the lineup against the Boston Bruins, Nils Lundkvist played a career-high 22:04. Lundkvist had never gone above 16:39 with the New York Rangers but has now matched or exceeded that in six of seven games with Dallas.
  • Cam Talbot might be back ahead of schedule, according to Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith. As Claire Hanna of TSN reports, Talbot was on the ice facing shots today and is “certainly ahead of the timeline” that had been set for him. There’s still no clear date set for his return but they could still use him, with Anton Forsberg dealing with a minor injury of his own. On that front, Forsberg was back at practice as well and is expected to be the starter when the team takes on the Minnesota Wild tonight.

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