This former Rangers goalie is heading to the Blue Jackets.
After spending over two months the free agent market, former New York Rangers goalie Cam Talbot has finally found his new home.
According to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, Talbot is signing a one-year, $950,000 contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Seeing the Blue Jackets sign Talbot is not necessarily surprising. Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins is currently out indefinitely after undergoing shoulder surgery. With this, it makes sense that Columbus has added to their goalie depth by signing Talbot.
Talbot now gives the Blue Jackets another option to work with for their backup goalie spot. The Blue Jackets also signed Pheonix Copley earlier this off-season, but he has played just 10 NHL games over the last three seasons.
Talbot appeared in 34 games last season with the Detroit Red Wings, where he posted a 12-9-6 record, an .883 save percentage, and a 3.19 goals-against average. Overall, the former Rangers netminder struggled last season, but the possibility of him bouncing back in Columbus should not be ruled out.
Talbot had a .900 save percentage or better in five out of his previous six seasons before the 2025-26 campaign. This included just back in 2023-24, when he had a .913 save percentage in 54 games with the Los Angeles Kings as an All-Star.
Talbot played the first two seasons of his NHL career with the Rangers in 2013-14 and 2014-15. In 57 games with the Blueshirts over that span, he posted a 33-15-5 record, a .931 save percentage, and a 2.00 goals-against average. His time with the Rangers may have been short, but he was undoubtedly effective with the Original Six club.
