The goalie market this summer is very weak so the Kings shouldn't close the door on bringing back Talbot even as a backup.
In my latest article, I wrote about the Los Angeles Kings and Ilya Samsonov being a fit for one another this summer. I had also mentioned that they need a reliable back up and that is where the Kings shouldn't close the door on bringing back Cam Talbot.
At his age, he may be more open to staying put in LA and being a 1B to the starter.
Talbot is set to hit the open market on July 1 and with him being the goalie with the most wins on the market, he could receive an offer or two from a weaker team for their starter role.
This is where the Kings' GM Rob Blake needs to start the conversation with Talbot's camp and see what the asking price is. Talbot has spoken to the media numerous times about his desire to return and the organization could use this as leverage leading up to the start of free-agency.
This year free-agent goalie market is extremely weak, so unless the Kings plan to make a major trade and acquire a goalie they will need to get ahead of the other 31 teams and attempt to lock up Talbot.
This past season, Talbot's AAV was only $1 million. The Kings may need to offer a bit of a raise depending on how many years they offer, but shouldn't offer more than $1.5 million for two seasons.
This way, they can allocate around $3-$3.5 million to a 1A/starter and hopefully stabilize their crease so the team has a chance to get past the first round next season.