The "Battle of Alberta" is always a big sell, and now there's a new layer as the possible netminders for the games will be facing off against their old team.
On July 1, unrestricted free agents Cam Talbot and Mike Smith swapped jerseys as Talbot went south to the Calgary Flames and Smith headed north to the Edmonton Oilers.
Talbot, signed to a one-year deal for $2.75 million, is coming off a season that saw his numbers dip. He posted a 3.40 goals-against average and .892 save pct. in 35 games (32 starts) between Edmonton and Philadelphia. However, the Oilers (3.30) and Flyers (3.41) were two of the worst teams in terms of goals against last season.
Think the Cam Talbot connections in Calgary are interesting. Coached by Bill Peters at the 2016 world championships where #Flames GM Brad Treliving was on the Canadian staff as well. #Flames have seen Talbot at his best but also seen struggles/reasons why in EDM.
— Kristen Anderson (@KdotAnderson) July 1, 2019
The Caledonia, Ont., native, does boast a 2.60 GAA and .915 save pct. in 288 career games with a 2.48 GAA and a .922 save pct. in the postseason. With a stronger defense in front of him in Calgary, the 31-year-old netminder's numbers should rebound. He is expected to be the backup to David Rittich, who is remains unsigned as a restricted free agent.
#Flames G Cam Talbot on the appeal of signing in Calgary ... pic.twitter.com/kpYOeY58zW
— Wes Gilbertson (@WesGilbertson) July 1, 2019
As for Smith, he inked a one-year, $2 million deal with the Oilers after a season that saw him take the No. 1 spot in the postseason from Rittich. During the regular season, the 37-year-old goalie had a 2.72 GAA and .898 save pct. with two shutouts. In the postseason, that saw the No. 1 team in the Western Conference get ousted by the Colorado Avalanche in five games, Smith had a 3.20 GAA and .917 save pct.
The Kingston, Ont., native will split time between the pipes with Mikko Koskinen. It'll be interesting to see how the veteran netminder handles a young Oilers defense in front of him. Last season, Koskinen faced 1,551 shots (18th among goaltenders).