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NHL Trade Rumors: Top 5 goaltenders available at trade deadline

By Dave Stevenson

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 22: Sergei Bobrovsky #72 of the Columbus Blue Jackets looks on during warm-ups against the Philadelphia Flyers on December 22, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 22: Sergei Bobrovsky #72 of the Columbus Blue Jackets looks on during warm-ups against the Philadelphia Flyers on December 22, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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3. Cam Talbot

If the Edmonton Oilers decide to sell (which is something they ought to do but likely won’t), goaltender Cam Talbot could prove to be a valuable trade chip. The goaltending market is fairly barren. Talbot is one of the very few proven starting goalies who could be traded.

Most of his value comes from his resume of being a decent starter and healthy. Because this season, Talbot has been pretty dreadful at times. In 24 starts (26 appearances), he has nearly as many really bad starts (seven) as quality starts (eight). That’s never a good sign. Talbot has a .896 save percentage this season, which is below the league average as well.

The goaltending market is fairly barren. Talbot is one of the very few proven starting goalies who could be traded.

That said, Elliott is injured and Kinkaid is very unproven. This leaves Talbot as one of the top goaltenders on the market. If the Oilers are smart, they’ll take advantage of that by trading him for a late or mid-round pick. They should be calling the Flames and Sharks non-stop about Talbot because he’d probably be an upgrade over their backup options.

Honestly, if Elliott proves he’s healthy, I’d probably prefer him to Talbot. Both have sketchy pasts, but at least Elliott is cheap. Right now, Talbot is the better option simply because he’s more of a known than a guy nursing a groin injury. That could change.

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