Former Oilers and Flames goalie has finally found a new home in free agency
Cam Talbot appears to have extended his NHL career for at least one more season.
It appeared as though the 39-year-old’s NHL career may be finished after waiting months on the free-agent market, but he was instead able to find a new home right ahead of training camp.
On Monday morning, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that Talbot is expected to sign a one-year, $950,000 deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Blue Jackets reporter Aaron Portzline also recently speculated that this move may take place.
Hearing the Blue Jackets will be signing UFA veteran goalie Cam Talbot, 39, to a one-year deal ($950k) later today. Colleague @Aportzline speculated in his piece today that this might possibly happen.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 14, 2026
While Jet Greaves is pencilled in as the Blue Jackets’ starter, Talbot is expected to fill in as his backup, at least for a period of time. Elvis Merzlikins, who was expected to have that role, is out of the lineup for the foreseeable future after undergoing shoulder surgery last month.
Talbot brings a ton of experience to the Blue Jackets, having logged 567 career games at the NHL level. This past season saw him suit up for 34 games with the Detroit Red Wings, where he posted a 3.19 GAA along with a .883 SV%.
While Talbot has had many stops in his NHL career, one of his more memorable stints was with the Edmonton Oilers from 2015 to 2019. He served as the organization’s starting goaltender for the vast majority of that stint, including the 2016-17 season, which saw him appear in a career-high 73 games.
Another one of Talbot’s stops came with the Calgary Flames during the 2019-20 campaign. He impressed in his lone season in Cowtown, posting a 2.63 GAA and a .919 SV% in 26 appearances.
Though Talbot no longer has to stress about finding a new home, there are plenty of other impactful players who cannot say the same. There are still plenty of intriguing names who remain up for grabs, including Vladimir Tarasenko, Michael Bunting, Evander Kane, and Logan Stanley.
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