After seeing how loaded the Eastern Conference is, one team went on to improve. The Ottawa Senators made headlines early in the offseason. Between acquiring Alex DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks and signing long-time Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux, joy has crept in for the fan base. There has been a lot of buzz around the Sens which means the rumours keep coming. In this edition of NHL rumours, we look at the Sens and the possibility they might trade one of their goalies. Along with all the forward help, Ottawa also made an upgrade in goal with Cam Talbot. Now, the newly acquire Talbot might be on the way out.
NHL Rumours: Ottawa Senators Could Trade Goalie
Rumour: Ian Mendes from The Athletic talks about the possibility of The Ottawa Senators trading Cam Talbot
Cam Talbot could be involved in a trade. After being acquired from the Minnesota Wild who opted to stick with Marc Andre Fleury, Talbot could be on the move again. While it is not likely, it could happen depending on how the team performs and the offer. Talbot has one year remaining on his contract, and he could be a trade chip to upgrade other areas, specifically the defence. One team who could look to acquire the netminder is the Vegas Golden Knights. This is a playoff-ready team, and after losing Robin Lehner for the entire season they could use some reinforcements in net. Is it worth it for the Senators to trade him? That remains to be seen after the moves they have made.
Ian Mendes discusses a scenario in which they acquire a defenceman from Vegas in exchange for Talbot.
Why Vegas Should Make The Trade
Cam Talbot could be involved in a trade to Vegas. After losing Lehner for the entire season, riding the tandem of Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit may not be the greatest idea. Thompson posted a .914 save percentage and 2.68 goals against average while Brossoit posted .895 and 2.90 in those same categories. Both goalies could be ready for the heavier load, but bringing in an experienced goalie could go a long way for a team ready to get back into the playoffs.
Talbot had a strong year for the Minnesota Wild. Despite finishing with a -17.26 goals saved above expected, he posted a 32-12-4 record and had a 2.76 GAA and a .911 save percentage. He posted save percentages in low danger areas (.973), medium danger areas (.864), and high danger (.647) to display how he performed when facing those types of shots. Talbot is a nine-year veteran in this league. Over his career, he has posted a 201-142-34 record and owns a career save percentage of .915 and GAA of 2.63. While never being the proven number one goaltender, he has proven to be a good quality one.
Who Ottawa Could Trade For
Ian Mendes mentions that the team could seek Zach Whitecloud in a return. Whitecloud has been a full-time NHL-level player for the last three seasons. He is coming off of his best season where he scored eight goals, 11 assists, and 19 points.
Whitecloud is a solid two-way defenceman that excels in both ends of the ice. His play is strongest at even strength. Whitecloud is not afraid to sacrifice the body as he finished third on the team in blocked shots (115). He finished with a whopping 188 shot attempts and a Corsi For Percentage of 48%.
For the majority of the season, he spent time alongside Shea Theodore. Together the pair averaged 3.36 goals for per 60 minutes and 2.83 goals against. Together as a pair, they had a 51.54 CF% and ranked third in pairs with 19 goals. Whitecloud is a solid top-four defenceman and posted good numbers even without Theodore.
Final Thoughts
Cam Talbot could be involved in a trade, but it would not be wise to trade him. Even though getting Whitecloud in a potential deal is an upgrade, the team is not better with Talbot gone. After all the additions that were made, Talbot is a key piece going forward.
If you move on from Talbot the goalie market is extremely thin. The article states that the goalies left are Brayden Holtby who most likely won’t play this year, Andrew Hammond, and Cory Schneider. Those goalies do not make you a better team in place of Talbot.
The Ottawa Senators have done really good things, but moving on from Talbot would be an unwise move. Upgrading on the back end is a good decision, but not at the expense of Talbot. Unless there is a better plan in place for goaltending, keeping him in the crease is a good move to remain competitive.
To Summarize, great off-season by Ottawa who should be a fun team to watch come October.
Minnesota Wild goalie Cam Talbot had 42 saves today for his 5th career Stanley Cup Playoff shutout.
His 42 saves are the most in a shutout by a Wild goalie all-time. pic.twitter.com/Hn6RIYuDcX
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 16, 2021
