A Cam Talbot trade by the New York Rangers seems more a matter of "when" and not "if" at this point.
Talbot, who saw extended time between the pipes for the Broadway Blueshirts in 2014-15 after King Henrik Lundqvist went down with a "vascular injury" resulting from a puck to the neck, has reportedly become a top target on the NHL trade market.
"Cam Talbot is a hot commodity. Edmtn, Cgy, SJ, Dallas + Florida have expressed interest. Multiple trade offers. First 3 most likely targets," TSN NHL Insider Darren Dreger tweeted Thursday.
The Oilers, per Dreger, have shown particular interest, with new Edmonton GM Peter Chiarelli reportedly putting Talbot directly "in his crosshairs," which make sense considering the dumpster fire of a goalie situation they were forced to endure last year between the abysmal efforts of Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth.
There's also the fact that, at 27, Talbot is likely just entering his prime and is currently signed to a very affordable deal which is slated to pay him $1.45 million in 2015-16.
In short, Rangers GM Glen Sather is likely licking his chops.
"But Cam Talbot, what is he - 26, 27 years of age. That's usually the time where a goalie shows his development and where he's at. Do they get much better past 27? Yeah, potentially. But you've got a real strong indication of where they're headed by that time, and that's why Talbot is so highly-regarded," said Dreger, while appearing on Montreal's TSN 690, via TodaysSlapShot.com.
"But beyond that, I don't hear any bigger names from a goaltending perspective. But even those players - the New York Rangers, based on the interest they're getting in Cam Talbot, they're just giggling in the background. They know he's a good goalie. They know that. But they're going to hit a home run on rate of return."
The question, of course, is what Sather will actually be able to recoup in exchange for Talbot's services. Murray Pam of The Hockey News suggested earlier this month that Chiarelli and the Oilers may be willing to part ways with the second of their two first-round picks in the 2015 NHL Draft, No. 16-overall.
Despite his stellar numbers last year - .926 save percentage, 2.21 goals against average in 36 games - and affordable contract, that seems like hefty compensation for a guy who has all of 57 NHL contests to his name.
Still, it's a buyers' market and few available options exist which can rival Talbot's potential which is good news for a Rangers team that doesn't currently have a first-round pick in this summer's draft.
