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Cam Talbot Is The New York Rangers Best Asset

By Brandon Fitzpatrick

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At this point, the story has been beaten to death. Cam Talbot has done a wonderful job as the New York Rangers‘ de-facto starter with Henrik Lundqvist sidelined due to a strained blood vessel. Talbot’s play has been shaky at times, but recently he has shown that he can be a number one goaltender in the NHL.

With all this being said, has Talbot become the Rangers’ greatest asset moving forward?

It’s no secret that the Rangers are in win now mode. Lundqvist, who just turned 33, isn’t getting any younger and the Rangers have to make the most of his last years as an elite goaltender.

There are plenty of teams in the NHL that believe they are just a goaltender away from being contenders. Just look what Devan Dubnyk has done to the Minnesota Wild. The man single-handedly took them from a bottom-tier team to a sure-fire playoff team and oh, by the way, saved Mike Yeo from joining good ole’ Torts on the unemployment line.

I digress. Back to Talbot. Talbot has started in 25 games thus far,  posting a 2.28 GAA and a .922 SV%. Those are some phenomenal numbers for a “backup” goaltender. Out of those 25 games, Talbot has won 15 and gotten to overtime 4 times. That means out of a possible 50 points the Rangers could have gotten with Talbot in net, they’ve gotten 34. In his last 8 games, he has posted a 6-1-1 record with a 1.61 GAA and a .946 SV%.

There is no question that teams believe Talbot is a potential starter. In fact, there are 5-8 teams that Talbot could easily start on today. At 27 years old he is not young, which means there isn’t a lot of potential for progress, but he has gotten better over the past two seasons, and has proven that he can be an effective goaltender at the NHL level. He has a 11-2-3 record since the Lundqvist injury.

The Rangers have limited assets moving forward. They just moved Anthony Duclair, their best prospect by far, and don’t have a first round draft pick until 2017. At some point, the Rangers are going to have to replenish their farm system, and that can only come through the draft. If put on the block, and, depending on the team’s interest, the Rangers could get a very nice return for Talbot.

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The aforementioned Dubnyk cost the Wild a third-round pick. If the Rangers play their cards right, the could possibly get a second, and maybe even a first if Glen Sather is wearing his big boy pants. The Rangers could possibly get a mid to low tier prospect for Talbot. Talbot is also signed through next year, making a paltry $1.45 million. His contract is a bargain, and a team would be willing to bite on him if they think he is the missing piece.

The Rangers are rolling right now. They are pushing hard for the playoffs and haven’t even had their best goaltender. The goalie who has been in the net has been playing great, and because of his play, Talbot has become the Rangers’ most valuable asset moving forward.

Next: Kevin Klein's Possible Broken Arm Would Be Devastating To New York Rangers

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