The Soon To Be NHL All-Star the Leafs Should Consider Adding
Cam Talbot is soon to be headed to the NHL All-Star Game in Toronto, and he may be a short-term answer for the Maple Leafs in net.
Now, to be clear, I don't think Talbot is an answer as a long-term starting option for Toronto, but he may be a very sensible veteran option as a 1B for the Maple Leafs.
As much flack the Leafs have gotten the past few seasons for their 1A/1B approach, unless Woll has a late-season surge that shows he can fully handle the grind of being a full time NHL starter, there is an argument for a veteran like Talbot to share the crease with until Toronto has confidence in it's goalie situation.
Talbot is making $1M until the end of the year, a potential trade deadline add, or a free agent signing for next season.
Having a rebound season for the Los Angeles Kings, Talbot currently has a 14-11-5 record on the year for the Kings, with a 2.44GAA and a .915 save %, although he's been in a rough patch as of recent, having only won 1 of his last 10 games as of the time of this article. (hockeydb.com)
There's good and bad to Talbot, both sides having arguments for and against Talbot, although what may come down to it is cost, what the price is for an All-Star, albeit, one dealing with a recent bout of consistency issues, although a clear NHL goalie.
Whether for this season or next, Talbot is a potential add that makes sense for a Toronto team needing a solid tandem.
Here's reasons for and against the potential add of Cam Talbot for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Case For Cam Talbot
The strongest case for Cam Talbot getting another NHL contract is that he'll be headed to the All-Star game in Toronto, a game that could introduce Leafs fans to Talbot as a goaltender.
Talbot was previously an All-Star in 2022, the 36-year-old showing he's still capable to be a top goalie at his best.
Talbot, a native of Caledonia, Ontario, a little over an hour outside of Toronto, grew up a Leafs fan in his childhood. Would Talbot, who has a NTC this season, be willing to waive in a potential deal to Toronto?
Or if the playoff hunt Kings don't sell, take a team-friendly deal to move to the Leafs? Talbot is only making $1M this season, although it would likely take a continued losing slide, and another goalie option, for Los Angeles to likely move Talbot this season, although being an all-star this season, it's likely Talbot may make a bit more next year.
If you're adding Talbot, you're banking on the Cam Talbot that was one of the best goalies early in the year, and has shown at his best he can be a reliable starter.
Talbot being a middle-of-the-pack goalie with the occasional peak period has been the story of his career. If you want a goalie in free agency for a year or two, Talbot may be worth taking as a transitional goalie, giving Denis Hildeby another year to work his way into an eventual NHL role. The younger Woll and Hildeby would benefit from a veteran net mentor as both work their way to a proper tandem.
Even though he's suffered a downturn in net in recent games, he's still just under .900 in 10 games with just 1 win, showing even in a rough patch he's still able to keep his head above water. Talbot is still rocking a .915SV% this season, better than Martin Jones at .911 and just below Joseph Woll at .916.
Talbot, who has played in 30 of LA's 43 games, may benefit from the lessened workload, whether in Los Angeles and Toronto, although the Kings need him more than the Leafs do, as evident by the amount of games played, and may be what keeps him in California.
The Case Against Cam Talbot
Talbot, although getting off to an all-star start, has found difficulty in recent games, having not won since Dec. 23 of last year. Will Talbot be able to return to the form that made him a top goalie this season will leave some questions for now, and Toronto may not want to take a risk on a player who's consistency has been iffy, even with strong results.
One other major factor that may dictate Talbot coming to Toronto, or anywhere, will potentially come down to cost.
Even though he's 36, Talbot is still able to contribute as an NHL starter. Toronto would have to bid against a few teams more willing to use Talbot as a consistent starting option, including Los Angeles, who don't have an in-house replacement for their current starter.
Although a strong backup, with great numbers this season, it seems unlikely David Rittich could handle the workload needed to be a full-time starter. Erik Portillo is a future option for a netminder role in Los Angeles , although it's hard to see him instantly catapulted into the spotlight.
If Talbot isn't re-signed, the Kings would most likely make a sign or a trade. Los Angeles, where Goaltending depth is a question mark, may be willing to outbid anyone to keep their starter, currently the top UFA eligible to go on the market.
Even with a mixed season, Talbot has shown he's at the very least able to be a starter, although not someone who'll push 65-70 games a season. He should still hold short-term value, and might be willing to take more money from a team with a good backup for a chance to fight for a proper starting role next year, instead of sharing the net with Woll.
Martin Jones, who had an earlier hotstreak for Toronto, would likely be a cheaper option at backup, although it is pretty clear he's nothing more than a decent #3 at this point.
Ilya Samsonov's return seems unlikely from a personal standpoint, but depending on how comfortable the Leafs are with either Jones or Samsonov by the end of the year, Talbot may not be needed by Toronto's brass.
Conclusion - Cam Talbot : Leafs Goalie?
As it stands, even with the Kings recent slide, it seems unlikely that they would move Talbot. Unless they're going to go in on an option, giving up from their deep prospect pool to do so. Even though he's an all-star, it would seem unlikely Talbot goes for a first round pick.
Recently, an article on EIL argued for a few goalie options, which I feel Anthony Stolarz is the most sensible. Other recent arguments include Jordan Binnington and Marc-Andre Fleury, more marquee options that could push the Leafs forward, although costlier.
One difficulty to a signing like Binnington and Fleury is the knowing that Joseph Woll is being positioned as a starter. It doesn't feel likely that Binnington, signed until 2027, is joining a team to be a 1B or a backup, while Fleury will almost surely field offers from teams needing a starter, like the New Jersey Devils, already rumored in talks for the future Hall of Fame netminder.
There's as many positives to adding Talbot as there is to not. At this time, if the Leafs would acquire Talbot, they'd be doing so at a time where he's suffered a stretch of difficult outings, but not someone Los Angeles would rather sell at his lowest point of the season.
If Talbot were to sign in the off-season, he may be willing to take a discount for his hometown team, but comes at the challenge of still signing for more than the $1M he's currently making, and against teams more willing to give him the role of a proper starter.
There's a lot of factors that will go into how the Leafs approach their goalie situation, and unless they make a blockbuster like Binnington, it's almost certain that there will still be questions on the Leafs future at the position in free agency as well.
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Whatever route the Leafs go in, Toronto should still be focused on adding a veteran who can make an impact as a consistent netminder, and if the Leafs can't land a big fish, there's a very intriguing value option in Cam Talbot who could still improve the team in the short-term, and someone already on his way to Toronto this year.