VOORHEES, N.J. — Despite the recent success of Carter Hart and Anthony Stolarz, the Flyers are of the firm belief that they still need a veteran goaltender who can handle some of the pressure and workload that comes with being a No. 1 netminder.
TSN hockey analyst Darren Dreger reported Thursday morning the Flyers and Oilers are in trade discussions over six-year veteran Cam Talbot.
With the Oilers re-signing goaltender Mikko Koskinen last month through 2022, Talbot has become expendable and doesn’t factor into Edmonton’s plans moving forward.
According to a source, the Flyers would like to include Brian Elliott in a goaltender swap as the Flyers don’t have any plans for the 33-year-old goaltender after this season.
NBC analyst and former Flyers goaltender Brian Boucher believes Hart would benefit from having a veteran goaltender who can handle some of the early-season pressure.
“I agree with that 100 percent,” Boucher said. “Right now, Hart is riding a wave of adrenaline in being up here. Who knows how long that wave will last, but once the clock stops and you’ve got to reset next year, now the expectations are higher.”
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Boucher certainly caught a tsunami-sized wave during his time in Arizona when he set the NHL’s shutout record with a streak of 332:01.
He also fully understands the strain that comes with being a reliable No. 1 as opposed to being a steady backup playing for seven different teams over a 13-year career.
“The pressure is there whether it’s brought upon by the organization or the fans. It’s there, it’s real,” Boucher said. “It’s tough to recreate that same type of adrenaline at the start of a season, starting from zero. It’s important to get someone in here who can play 30 to 35 games if need be.”
Talbot can actually fill both roles. With the Rangers from 2013-15, Talbot did an exceptional job as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup with a 33-15-5 record in two seasons with a .931 save percentage. Prior to this season, Talbot also led the NHL with 140 starts over the past two seasons, finishing fourth in Vezina Trophy voting in 2017.
Boucher believes Talbot would be a perfect complement to Hart, especially since the two goaltenders have a relationship going back to Hart’s days in junior hockey with the Everett Silvertips.
"He's actually the guy that I called the night before my first game," Hart said prior to facing his hometown Oilers. “Just to ask him a couple questions a little bit, get some knowledge from him. He's been a guy who has texted me every now and then throughout the season to see how I'm doing and he's a really good guy."
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