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Calgary Flames Pushing Hard For Cam Talbot

By Ken MacMillan

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The Calgary Flames have been linked to many possible players on the trade market over the past two weeks, and it appears today that they are pushing hard to get a deal done for goaltender Cam Talbot of the New York Rangers.

The Rangers have been actively shopping Talbot after he had a very successful season as the backup to incumbent starter Henrik Lundqvist. With Lundqvist one of the best goaltenders in the league and signed for six more years at $8.5 million. It makes a lot of sense from the Rangers perspective that they should move Talbot now, before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in one year.

Talbot is 27 years old, and has just 57 games of NHL experience under his belt as Lundqvist’s backup for the past two seasons. He has posted exceptional numbers in his short NHL career, coming up with a 2.21 goals against average and a.936 save percentage in 36 games this season. He had a very successful stint early in the year when Lundqvist was hurt, and it gives teams reason to believe he could carry the ball as a number one goaltender.

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Talbot was an undrafted free agent signee out of University of Alabama-Huntsville in 2010 after he posted a 2.61 GAA and .925 SV% in his Junior year of College. He progressed steadily in the American Hockey League for parts of three seasons before making his NHL debut with the Rangers last season.

Talbot posted incredible numbers in his rookie season with a 12-6-1 record a 1.64 GAA and .941 SV%. He has just one year left on his contract, but it’s at a very manageable cap hit of $1.45 million. With the Rangers putting him on the trade block, he is getting plenty of interest from NHL GMs.

The Flames are apparently pushing hard to get Talbot, after the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres struck a deal that sent Robin Lehner to Buffalo with David Legwand for the 21st overall pick. Lehner has more NHL experience than Talbot, but certainly didn’t post the same numbers over the past two years.

It appears that the Flames are very serious about landing the soon to be 28 year old Talbot, but is it too risky? First of all, he would be a starting goaltender for the first time in the NHL. His career high for games played is 36, can he post similar numbers, or anything close to it if he starts 60 times next year?

Plus, he only has one year left on his contract and could very well be a free agent next summer.  It was rumoured earlier that it would cost a first round pick to land the Rangers netminder, but the asking price according to Dreger seems to be a pair of second round picks.

The Flames have three second round picks and two third rounders so they certainly have the assets to get it done, but I wouldn’t make the deal due to the fact he could be a UFA next summer, and even if he stays it will cost an arm and a leg to keep him.

Then again, if you trade Vancouver’s second round pick and throw in Washington’s second and third rounders, it’s like you just moved half a season of Curtis Glencross and Sven Baertschi for a potential starting goaltender and it seems like a great trade.

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