The Senators are expecting big things for next season but they'll first need to figure out their goaltending.
The Senators are expecting big things for next season but they'll first need to figure out their goaltending.
When Cam Talbot arrived in Ottawa in a trade from Minnesota last summer, he only had a year left on his contract. But he was still hopeful he might be able to set some roots down in the Capital, especially after checking out its housing market.
“There was zero to rent (in Ottawa) for a family of our size,” Talbot told me last fall. “So we ended up just buying, hoping that we’re going to be here in Ottawa for longer than the year."
The family plans were officially cancelled Monday when Senators' GM Pierre Dorion announced at his season-ending press conference that Talbot will not be re-signed for next season.
"Not that I want to get into details," Dorion said. "We offered him a one year deal in January. They wanted a two year deal. No progress was made... we were so far apart on AAV (average annual value), we knew."
While Talbot's exit is about money and term, Dorion also had to measure it all against Talbot's age (36 this summer), performance, injuries, and the youthful alternatives available within the organization.
Talbot is probably more frustrated than anyone. He never had a year like this before.
"Very challenging," Talbot said. "I've had some minor injuries, but never three in one season. The first one's kind of fluky. Most goalies don't break a rib. It's not a place you usually get hit (with the puck). So, yeah, it was just one of those things that started there... You feel like you're just playing catch-up, especially on a new team. So, it just felt like I was never really able to get myself on track. And when I did, another injury came."
In December, just after Christmas, Talbot gave fans a spectacular glimpse of what he's still capable of. Against the Boston Bruins, the same team that just set the all-time NHL record for wins (65) in a season, Talbot set the Senators' franchise record for most saves (49) in a victory.
Meanwhile, Filip Gustavsson – the man the Sens traded for Talbot – had the NHL's best goals against average (2.10) and save percentage (.931) this season of any NHL goalie not named Linus Ullmark. At 24, Gustavsson is also one of the youngest goalies in the league and exactly the kind of goalie Dorion would like to get his hands on this summer.
"When we made the trade, we took a calculated risk," Dorion said, before changing the subject. "And now (Cam is) going to move onto, most likely, another team. He's still got some good hockey left in him. He's a tremendous human being."
The Sens are now banking on a full recovery by 30 year old Anton Forsberg, who tore the MCLs in both knees back in February. Whether Forsberg is the starter or the backup remains to be seen.
"Anton Forsberg will be one of the goalies next year," Dorion said. "The other guy will either be (found) internally, through trade or free agency."
With good, established NHL goalies always in such high demand, and the Sens' internal options being so inexperienced, tracking down that second netminder will be easier said than done.