Cam Talbot set to part ways with Ottawa Senators after rejecting one year deal

After just one season with the Ottawa Senators, it seems goaltender Cam Talbot is set to part ways with the team.

Senators general manager Pierre Dorion announced on Monday that the impending free agent will not be returning next season.

According to Dorion, the team was only comfortable offering a one-year deal, while Talbot was seeking a two-year contract. Additionally, the two sides were reportedly far apart on the average annual value of the deal.

The 35 years old, joined the Senators last offseason in a trade with the Minnesota Wild that saw goaltender Filip Gustavsson head the other way. In his lone season in Ottawa, Talbot went 17-14-2 in 36 games with a save percentage of .898 and a goals-against average of 2.93.

Before his time with the Senators, Talbot had signed a three-year, $11 million deal with the Minnesota Wild in October 2020. The contract carried a cap hit of $3.67 million per season.

It remains to be seen where Cam Talbot will land next, but with his experience and solid numbers, he could be a valuable asset to many teams. As for the Senators, they will have to look elsewhere for a reliable netminder for the season.

Cam Talbot's unconventional route to NHL success

Cam Talbot's journey to the NHL was anything but typical. Hailing from Caledonia, Ontario, Talbot made history when he became the second NHL player to come out of the University of Alabama-Huntsville, following Jared Ross. Talbot played three seasons for the Chargers and helped them win the College Hockey America championship in 2010 and qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Talbot signed with the New York Rangers as an undrafted free agent in March 2010 and spent most of the next few seasons in the American Hockey League. He played 21 games for the Rangers in the 2013-14 season, backing up Henrik Lundqvist.

In February 2015, Lundqvist was sidelined, and Talbot took over, playing superbly and helping New York to an NHL-best 113 points that season. His stretch of excellence caught the attention of the Edmonton Oilers, who traded three second-round draft picks to the Rangers for him in June 2015.

After playing for the Oilers, Flyers, Flames, and Wild, Talbot was traded to the Ottawa Senators in July 2022. He split time with Marc-Andre Fleury for the Wild after Fleury was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks before the 2022 NHL trade deadline.

Cam Talbot's NHL career includes an All-Star Game appearance in 2022. Despite his unconventional route to the NHL, Talbot has proven himself to be a reliable goaltender and a valuable asset to any team in need of goaltending help.