Before the season even began, there were many questions that needed to be answered surrounding the Blue Jackets roster and lineup. One of those questions has seemingly been answered after a strong start from a late addition.
In mid-August, Elvis Merzlikins underwent shoulder surgery after experiencing unexpected discomfort during offseason workouts.
This brought about a lot of concern about who would serve as the backup behind Jet Greaves, as Pheonix Copley was really the only option, and he didn't spark much confidence.
This caused the Blue Jackets to sign 39-year-old Cam Talbot to a one-year deal to compete for that backup spot and likely earn it, keeping Copley as more of a solid depth option in Cleveland.
It was a bit of a risky signing at the time, as Talbot was coming off of a major down year in Detroit where he posted a .883 save percentage, 3.19 goals against average, and -13.1 goals saved above expected, according to MoneyPuck.
Cam Talbot has brought much more stability to the crease this season
So far this season, Talbot has bounced back from last year and has outperformed Jet Greaves through the first 13 games.
It's far too early to argue that he should be the starter, especially after Jet's standout performance last year, but Talbot has proven that he can at least handle a 50/50 split of the starts until Jet can bounce back himself.
Talbot has started in six games and entered one in relief so far, and has earned a 4-2 record by posting a .901 save percentage and 2.70 goals against average, while saving 3.9 goals above expected.
The best part of his performance, in my opinion, has been his ability to force opponents to earn their goals when he's playing. By saving 98.8% of low-danger chances, he's letting the rest of the team determine if they win or lose.
He did just that on Tuesday night against the highly-skilled Colorado Avalanche, saving all low-danger chances and finishing with 27 saves on 29 total shots, saving 1.45 goals above expected.
The only thing that Talbot has struggled with so far has been rebound control. He's allowing one rebound about every ten shots, which is the second-most among goalies who have played a game in the NHL this year.
He's already absolutely doing his job, but if he can improve his rebound control even slightly, he may make a case to enter a true tandem with Jet going forward.
Regardless, we have to be happy with not only his performance, but the decision to sign him in the first place. Copley has not impressed in the AHL so far, so signing Talbot may end up being a critical move this season.
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