Cam Talbot talks about being ready to battle for the net every night
Ottawa Senator's newest goalie acquisition Cam Talbot has had close to two weeks to reflect on the trade that sent him to Ottawa in exchange for Filip Gustavsson.
Things got awkward in Minnesota at the draft once pending UFA Fleury, 37, received a two-year contract from GM Bill Guerin that gave him more security than Talbot, who is entering his final season at a $3.67-million cap hit and was eager for an extension of his own.
Guerin and Talbot's agent, George Bezos, had a tense conversation in Montreal that went public.
The Wild got a more cost-effective tandem; Pierre Dorion got a proven NHL goaltender and another leader in the room.
«The way it ended in Minnesota wasn't the way I wanted it to end, to be quite honest. We thought we'd see ourselves there for a long time to come. But obviously, that's not how it played out,»
Talbot explained.
«On the flip side, I'm excited to be part of a new group, a very young group, one that's headed in a great direction. They got a great, young core. They brought in so many good pieces, and I'm happy to be one of those pieces.»
In Ottawa Talbot will have the edge for the starting role but will have some tough competition. The Senators really like Anton Forsberg. They recently signed him to a three-year, $8.25-million extension in late March. Talbot has the track record (201-143-34, .915) and playoff experience to inject some much-needed leadership to the roster.
Talbot wants to keep the Number 1 role.
"I mean, that's the goal, right? That's what you want to be. No one wants to go into camp and say, �You know what? I don't want to play that many games this year.' We're all competitive hockey players, and there's that competitive edge, that aggressiveness that you want to be the guy. Everybody wants to be the guy. If you don't want to be the guy, then you're probably not going to be at this stage in your career,»
Talbot said.
«I'm at 35 years old now, but I still want those games. I still want the net every single night, and it's gonna be a battle. I mean, Anton is a very good goalie as well. He's got a three-year contract ahead of him. So obviously they see a lot outta him, too. So, there's gonna be a battle for starts, and whoever's playing the best is gonna play. And that's the way it should be.»
Talbot is excited to experience the Battle of Ontario.
«I'm looking forward to the Battle of Ontario, that's for sure. I was on both sides of the Battle of Alberta, so it's gonna be fun to be part of this one.»
Going into a contract year Talbot will be looking for a strong season in the nation's capital, so he can cash in on another long term contract.
| POLL |
Who will get more starts in Ottawa this upcoming season? |
| Cam Talbot | 92 | 63.4 % |
| Anton Forsberg | 53 | 36.6 % |
| List of polls |
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