Flames sign Cam Talbot to one year deal ($2.75 million AAV)

The Calgary Flames have found themselves another goaltender. With free agency finally opening, the Flames have signed netminder Cam Talbot to a one year deal worth $2.75 million.

Talbot, 31, is originally from Caledonia, Ontario. He came up through the American college ranks, suiting up for three seasons with the University of Alabama-Huntsville. He was signed as a free agent by the New York Rangers in 2010.

From there, Talbot followed the typical goaltending progression. He played three seasons in the Rangers’ farm system, then a couple seasons behind Henrik Lundqvist as backup for the Rangers. With King Henrik cemented as the top dog on Broadway, the Rangers shopped the youngster and ended up swapping him to the Edmonton Oilers at the 2015 NHL Draft – the Flames, having sent several assets to the Boston Bruins for Dougie Hamilton, missed out on Talbot and ended up re-signing Karri Ramo instead.

Talbot had a few strong seasons in Edmonton, but between the team’s defense breaking down and Talbot playing 196 regular season games over three seasons – an average of 65 per season – his game fell off a cliff in the 2018-19 campaign. He lost his starting gig to Mikko Koskinen and then was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers.

A one year deal playing in a tandem with David Rittich likely represents an opportunity for Talbot to have a bounce-back season, and an opportunity for the Flames to buy low on a player that they’ve liked for awhile.