Rumor: Oilers and Flyers talking trade?

Both the Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers have been two of the most disappointing teams in the NHL this season. Both teams were expected to make the playoffs or at least push for a playoff spot in 2018-19, but here we are nearly 60 games into the season and both teams are well back of a wild card spot.

Still… stranger things have happened, so it’s possible that the Oilers and the Flyers go on a tear to end the season and end up in the postseason, but odds are that they’ll simply run out of games left to play. In Philly there’s reason for optimism given how rookie goalie Carter Hart has played since being recalled but in Edmonton… well, they have Connor McDavid and he’s pretty great. Beyond that though there’s a LOT of work to be done by the Oilers’ management group. 

One decision the team’s next GM will have to make is to decide on the future of goaltender Cam Talbot. The pending UFA looked to have lost his starter’s position to Mikko Koskinen, but recently started three consecutive games, leading to speculation that the team is trying to showcase him for a trade. One potential destination for Talbot, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman is the aforementioned Flyers.

Sure, the Flyers have a logjam in goal behind Hart with Brian Elliott, Michal Neuvirth, Mike McKenna, Anthony Stolarz and Alex Lyon on the roster, but Talbot, when he’s on his game, stands head and shoulders above anyone else on the Flyers depth chart. Friedman also points out that Hart, an Edmonton native, and Talbot have an off-ice relationship that could benefit the youngster’s development.

Check out this report from Spector Hockey’s Lyle Richardson, where he quotes Friedman’s latest rumor: 

SPORTSNET: Noting the Edmonton Oilers recently gave goaltender Cam Talbot three straight starts, Elliotte Friedman said it made it appear he was being showcased to clear salary-cap space to make room for returning defenseman Andrej Sekera. He also mentions Talbot perhaps going to the Philadelphia Flyers, who have a cheaper goalie like Brian Elliott. He adds Talbot and Flyers rookie netminder Carter Hart have a history together.

It seems like Friedman is proposing a goalie swap as a way for the Oilers to alleviate some of their cap issues. Talbot accounts for $4.1 million against the cap for the balance of the season, while Elliott is due a conservative $2.75 million.