Blue Jackets To Sign Cam Talbot

The Columbus Blue Jackets are set to sign goaltender Cam Talbot to a one-year contract, according to Pierre LeBrun.

The veteran Talbot will earn a $950K AAV on this contract with the Jackets, tallying his tenth professional deal with an NHL franchise.

The 39-year-old finished his 2025-26 season with the Detroit Red Wings, serving as backup to John Gibson. In 34 games, he amassed 704 saves, allowed 93 goals for an .883 save percentage and a 3.19 goals against average. His -13.11 goals saved above expected ranked 92nd among NHL goaltenders last season, going 12-9-6.

Talbot was ending the second year of a two-year, $2.5MM contract with the Wings, where he quickly earned the starting role over Ville Husso and Alex Lyon in 2024-25 of that contract. He finished that year with a 21-19-5 record in 47 games with a .900 SV% and 2.93 GAA. A decent year and well above his second Detroit-season numbers.

This signing doesn’t come as much of a surprise despite the recent numbers. CBJ announced that goaltender Elvis Merzlikins underwent surgery to repair a shoulder injury after experiencing discomfort during offseason workouts. Further to this, its said an MRI confirmed the need for surgery. The team has yet to announce a timetable for Merzlikins’ return, and the late-summer procedure could jeopardize his availability for the start of training camp on September 16 or the regular season opener on October 1.

Columbus’s starting role was earned Jet Greaves last season, who outperformed his backup across the board and solidified his top spot by signing a three-year, $15MM contract on July 23rd. Greaves’ new deal established Merzlikins as the backup for the 2026-27 season, However, with this injury, it’s safe to assume that Talbot will be among the top options to compete for the backup role at camp.

Talbot will go against Pheonix Copley from the minor-leagues as Columbus will decide who to field as a veteran backup. The Blue Jackets could also see highly-regarded prospect Sergei Ivanov as the second-string if they want to move one of their top prospects from the AHL to the NHL immediately. Ivanov posted a .928 save percentage through 29 games with SKA St. Petersburg last season – a split-role after he spent the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons as an outright starter for other clubs. The 22-year-old has promising upside, but his inexperience in North America could make him a favorite to start for the Cleveland Monsters while Copley moves up.