Cam Talbot’s long wait on the open market is over, and the veteran goalie looks set to keep his NHL career rolling for at least another season.
The 39-year-old is expected to land with the Columbus Blue Jackets on a one-year, $950,000 deal, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun on Monday morning. Blue Jackets reporter Aaron Portzline had also recently floated the possibility that this move was coming.
For Columbus, Talbot is lined up to serve as Jet Greaves’ backup, at least initially. That role became available because Elvis Merzlikins, who was supposed to handle it, is out of the lineup for the foreseeable future after shoulder surgery last month.
Talbot arrives with a deep résumé. He has appeared in 567 NHL games, giving the Blue Jackets a proven veteran presence behind a starter in Greaves. Last season, he played 34 games for the Detroit Red Wings and finished with a 3.19 GAA and a .883 SV%.
His career has taken him through several stops, but a few stand out more than others. Talbot spent a major stretch with the Edmonton Oilers from 2015 to 2019 and was the team’s starting goalie for most of that run, including the 2016-17 season when he hit a career-high 73 appearances.
He also had a strong lone season with the Calgary Flames in 2019-20. In 26 games, he put up a 2.63 GAA and a .919 SV%.
Talbot is no longer one of the notable names waiting for a landing spot, but several big players are still out there. Vladimir Tarasenko, Michael Bunting, Evander Kane, and Logan Stanley remain available.
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