Senators should trade Cam Talbot – and dumpster dive for another goalie

Credit: © Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

The Ottawa Senators once again have a problem in the crease. And thankfully this time, unlike in the 2018-19 season, it doesn’t involve me.

The Senators have had a rotating cast of goaltenders for the past decade, with the only consistent crease-dweller being the since-departed Craig Anderson. Who, oh by the way, at 41 years of age happens to have a .918 save percentage in 17 games for the Buffalo Sabres this season.

But no matter the past, it’s time for GM Pierre Dorion to get busy ahead of the March 3 NHL trade deadline. Because despite being currently out of the lineup due to injury, Cam Talbot has value. And with Anton Forsberg sidelined indefinitely after suffering damage to both knees in a recent collision with Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman, the Senators are left with rookies Mads Sogaard and Kevin Mandolese to tend the net.

For a team like Ottawa that was supposed to make substantial strides this season – which hasn’t happened; the Sens are 24th in the NHL – rolling out two inexperienced goalies is not ideal. And I think Dorion needs to address the situation as soon as possible.

But here’s the thing: he’s going to have to make a decision. Either he can get a band-aid solution for the rest of the year. Or the Senators GM can acquire a goaltender that can play in tandem with Forsberg for the next couple of seasons until Sogaard or Mandolese is ready for full-time NHL action.

What I think Dorion really needs to avoid is rushing his two young prospects. Sogaard and Mandolese are both just 22 years old. And neither has been dominant in the AHL. Putting either of them into regular NHL duty too soon could stunt their development. Especially considering how porous Ottawa’s defense has been this year.

Former Senators goaltender Marcus Hogberg wasn’t ready for the NHL, but the team promoted him to the NHL for the 2020-21 season. And now, after posting an .876 save percentage in 14 games that year, Hogberg is back home playing in the top Swedish league and no longer a part of the Senators organization.

Hogberg is a cautionary tale. And the Senators have been impatient before. Like last summer when the team dealt Filip Gustavsson to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for veteran goaltender Cam Talbot.

Gustavsson has been excellent for the Wild this year, posting a .923 save percentage in 22 games. And Talbot has been good at times for Ottawa. But now Dorion has yet another call to make. Talbot will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. And he’ll turn 36 before the 2023-24 season begins. Should Ottawa trade him?

I think so. The goaltending market is pretty soft. And Talbot might be the only viable option out there for teams in need. Like the Pittsburgh Penguins or L.A. Kings – both clubs with question marks in goal.

So unless the Senators plan on signing Talbot to an extension, it’s time to move on. Even with his recent injury, Talbot is worth at least a draft pick. And a decent one at that. Ottawa isn’t going to make the Stanley Cup playoffs. And the team is without a third round draft choice in 2023 and 2024. Moving Talbot makes a lot of sense.

But trading the only healthy NHL goaltender in the system presents another problem, which I alluded to before. The Senators simply cannot afford to go the rest of the 2022-23 season with two rookie goaltenders.

Can Ottawa platoon Sogaard and Mandolese? Sure, that’s doable. The team has 30 games left to play. But should each goalie play 15? I think that’s excessive. And it’s why Dorion must be looking for help in goal.

The easy thing for the Senators to do would be pick up a goaltender off the waiver wire. The Vancouver Canucks just put Spencer Martin up for grabs. He has 38 games of NHL experience and could easily play 20-plus down the stretch.

But I think Ottawa would be smart to go a different route. Like trading for a goalie to compliment Forsberg. Someone that can be a layover until the prospects are ready.

How about Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Joonas Korpisalo? Or as my teammate Tyler Yaremchuk suggested Monday morning on the Daily Faceoff Live show, maybe Alex Nedeljkovic, who’s currently playing in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins?

I’m intrigued by both. A tandem of either Korpisalo or Nedeljkovic alongside Forsberg could be a nice solution. And I don’t think the acquisition price of either netminder would be very high.

To me, Talbot is gone. I think the Sens would have to overpay to keep him in Ottawa next year. Talbot has a winning resume and can help a team during the Stanley Cup playoffs. And I don’t see him being eager to sign up for another season in Ottawa with no guarantee of making the postseason.

By trading for a goaltender like Korpisalo or Nedeljkovic, The Senators can use the remainder of the 2022-23 season as an audition. Let both sides see if it’s a fit.

I’ll use Korpisalo for my example. Prior to this year, his numbers had taken a drastic turn for the worse. He posted an .877 save percentage in 22 games for Columbus during the 2021-22 campaign. I had real doubts if he would be able to find an NHL job during the offseason, especially since he was recovering from offseason hip surgery.

He ended up getting a one-year, $1.3 million contract extension from the Blue Jackets. And after drawing back into the Columbus lineup in early November, he’s posted a respectable .907 save percentage and ranks 27th league-wide in moneypuck.com’s goals saved above expected rankings.

Korpisalo is outplaying his Blue Jackets defense. And he’s doing the same with goalie partner Elvis Merzlikins. The performance delta between them is rather astonishing. Merzlikins is 88th in goals saved above expected, with an .871 save percentage and a record of 6-14-0. Korpisalo has a record of 8-10-3.

I think Korpisalo would be a good fit for Ottawa. And at a value. Korpisalo’s cap hit wouldn’t break the bank on a one or two-year pact.

The concern is that Korpisalo isn’t the most technical goalkeeper. He has a tendency to chase the play. But maybe a change of scenery would help streamline his game. Forsberg would be a good archetype in that regard: he’s rarely out of position. And goalie partners inevitably learn from one another.

With Korpisalo, there’s still the memory of the 2019-20 Stanley Cup playoffs when he posted a .941 save percentage during nine games of action against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning. He has big game experience. And I think there’s still untapped potential if Korpisalo’s athleticism can be harnessed.

But all of what I just said about the Finnish netminder doesn’t matter if Dorion and the Sens choose to go the band-aid route. Which I think isn’t prudent. Ottawa would be right back at square one trying to find a goaltender on the first day of free agency. And that’s a situation ripe for overspending.

I’m still bullish on Ottawa. I love the Senators’ young talent. And the leadership in place with Brady Tkachuk, flanked by hometown hero Claude Giroux, is the envy of several NHL teams.

But the Senators goaltending continues to be a rotating cast of characters. Getting it right with Sogaard and Mandolese is of paramount importance. One of them needs to carry the mail in the AHL next season and prove ready for the next step.

Until that happens, the Senators need a reliable NHL goaltender. Preferably two. And luckily for Dorion, there should be options.

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Senators should trade Cam Talbot – and dumpster dive for another goalie

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