The story of Cam Talbot and how it relates to Alexandar Georgiev

Lessons learned from Cam Talbot

That’s where the lesson is to be learned from the experiences of Talbot. While he wasn’t dealt at the trade deadline, he was traded over the summer of 2015 to Edmonton. He was sent to the Oilers along with a seventh round pick in exchange for a second and third round pick along with  the Oilers’ seventh round pick  The debate raged that the Rangers didn’t get enough and there was speculation that Glen Sather had done his old mates in Edmonton a favor.

For two seasons in Edmonton, Talbot lived up to his billing. He was one of the best goalies in the league, peaking in 2016-17 when he led the league in games played and wins along with a 2.39 GAA and a .919 save percentage.    He led the Oilers to their only playoff appearance in the last 13 years getting as far as the second round. For that he got consideration for both the Hart and Vezina Trophies.

After that season, it has all gone south for Talbot.  His goals against average soared over three goals per game.  His save percentage dropped below .900.  Edmonton gave up on him, trading him last season to Philadelphia for Anthony Stolarz.  The goaltending-challenged Flyers didn’t even attempt to re-sign him and he found himself signed as a free agent  in Calgary, beating the Rangers 4-3 on Thursday night.

What happened?  Some feel that he was overworked by the Oilers, playing an unbelievable 73 games along with 13 playoff games. Starting practically every game, he was unable to correct bad habits and the Oilers weren’t willing to wait for him to get better.

So, is there anything to be learned from Talbot’s odyssey when it comes to Georgiev?  For on thing, the return for a young goaltender with tremendous potential is just not that great.  The odds that the Rangers will be able to pry a first rounder out of a contender in exchange for Georgiev are slim, unless they can sweeten the deal.

Georgiev as had parts of three seasons as a pro and has done well, but there is a reason that Henrik Lundqvist is still the number one goaltender in New York.   While Talbot had two very good years in Edmonton, his career has not come close to Lundqvist’s and anyone who still thinks that they would have been better off with Talbot is just plain wrong.

Finally, look at the goalies who have established themselves as the best in the league.  Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, Tukka Rask and Lundqvist are just a few, but when a team has one they don’t give them up and all indications are that Shesterkin is going to be the next one.

It’s not to say that Alexandar Georgiev won’t end up as a top goaltender for another NHL team, it’s all very possible, but as in the case of Cam Talbot, there is no such thing as a sure thing.

Oh yes, one last bit of trivia related to Cam Talbot.  Remember that seventh round draft pick that they got from the Oilers when they traded for him in 2015?  They used that pick to select a young Slovakian goaltender playing in the USHL.  The other picks acquired haven’t worked out, but it’s possible that in exchange for Cam Talbot, the Rangers acquired their backup goalie of the future.