Oilers must add backup goalie to take pressure off Talbot
With just 24 games remaining in their season, the Edmonton Oilers rank second in the Pacific Division, just four points back of first place.
It's been a long, difficult wait in Edmonton, but the club is finally poised to make its playoff return after a decade on the sidelines. What the Oilers do beyond that, however, depends on whether or not they can find a solid backup netminder at the trade deadline.
That's not a knock on starting goalie Cam Talbot, as the Oilers' gamble on Talbot has clearly paid off. The former New York Rangers backup has been exceptional for Connor McDavid and Co. Among netminders who have made at least 40 appearances, Talbot's .920 save percentage is tied for fifth-best in the league.
Carrying the load
The only problem is the fact that the Oilers are leaning heavily on Talbot, seemingly without a viable contingency plan should his situation change.
The Oilers have played 58 games this season, and Talbot has started 52 of them - the biggest workload of any NHL netminder this season. Behind him, Jonas Gustavsson has suited up for just seven games and Laurent Brossoit has seen action in only three.
Neither backup has earned more than one win in that span. Brossoit boasts a strong save percentage of .919 - but only within a very limited sample size - while Gustavsson has struggled with his slightly bigger workload, posting a save percentage of .878.
Chiarelli's gamble
That leaves the Oilers in a bind, for two reasons.
Firstly, if Talbot goes down with an injury over the home stretch or during the playoffs - or sees his play drop off in any way - the Oilers will find themselves significantly limited.
Edmonton is all too familiar with having a strong offensive group with little to offer on the back end, and it's unlikely the team would last long without Talbot - even with McDavid doing work up front.
Secondly, the Oilers are risking overworking their starter. If nothing changes and they continue to start Talbot as much as they have thus far, he'll play 21 of those remaining 24 games, taking his season total to 73.
No netminder topped 70 appearances last season. Jonathan Quick and Braden Holtby are the only ones to do so in the past four seasons, both topping that mark in 2014-15.
Talbot's performance thus far suggests he can handle the increased workload, but leaving the club without a backup plan is a risky move for general manager Peter Chiarelli.
Plenty of options
Luckily, it wouldn't be too difficult to find one.
There are plenty of potential names to choose from at the moment, and while there's no merit in selling anything crucial to the team's future success to shore up their goaltending situation, there may be a lesser deal to be made.
Taking another look at Jaroslav Halak could be worthwhile, especially if the New York Islanders are willing to take a hefty contract back in return. Former Oiler Anders Nilsson is another option - he's found his game in Buffalo, is headed to unrestricted free agency, and likely isn't stealing the starting job from Robin Lehner. New Jersey Devils backup Keith Kinkaid is another option worth a look.
The potential is there, and with McDavid carrying the Oilers anyway, the club can afford to trim down elsewhere in the lineup to beef up the goaltending.
Might as well, because at this point it's one of the last remaining weaknesses for the quickly rising Oilers.