When the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews on Thursday, they'll do so without their starting goaltender, who they may be without for an extended stretch.
Edmonton announced that it has placed Cam Talbot on injured reserve, and subsequently has recalled Nick Ellis from AHL Bakersfield. Laurent Brossoit is expected to start Thursday against the Maple Leafs. Head coach Todd McLellan said Talbot will be out at least for two weeks, and the injury could keep him off the ice even longer. According to the Edmonton Journal, the injury, which has yet to be disclosed, is not a concussion.
On Wednesday, Talbot didn't practice with the team with what was being called an upper-body injury that had his status for the Toronto game in question.
Talbot will miss at least the next two games for Edmonton, with the earliest he can be activated from injured reserve Dec. 5
The Oilers (10-13-2) enter play Thursday five points behind the Chicago Blackhawks for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, and six points behind the San Jose Sharks for third place in the Pacific Division. There are quiet a few teams between the Oilers and those playoff spots though, with the Oilers currently sitting second-to-last in the West,