Let’s talk about Detroit Red Wings Cam Talbot

The TV personnel mentioned it at the end of the game. University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH) isn’t the place most people think of when discussing ice hockey, but a family member graduated from UAH. Although my family member didn’t participate in hockey, we all enjoyed watching it growing up. It was uncommon to find a National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I in the southern United States, which was an added bonus.

A fond memory of mine included watching UAH play against (and in) Niagara Falls, New York (a relatively short drive from where I grew up). 

The few UAH fans in attendance were great. Sporting shirts with one of my favorite slogans even decades later, “Niagara Falls Again.”

I don’t even remember the outcome of the game, just how much fun it was (including the time my sweet mom laid into a lady who was cursing out all the UAH players she could).

Based on my poor calculations, it’s unlikely that Cam Talbot was a member of this particular UAH team. Regardless, he’s always held a special place in my heart.

“The Red Wings who inexplicably leave Malkin all alone, but they’re bailed out by the goaltender. And that’s…the first guy they went to in celebration of this win.” TNT Analysts

That goaltender is Talbot. Much like the panel didn’t know who Jonatan Berggren was during intermission, Talbot’s name seemed to elude the play-by-play guy. I can see young, up-and-comer Berggren flying under the radar, but Talbot? A 37-year-old veteran with over a decade in the National Hockey League (NHL) could have a bit more respect when he’s discussed. 

Let’s talk about University of Alabama Huntsville alumni Cam Talbot of the Detroit Red Wings

Even if we don’t use his former decade-plus as a reason to know his name, he currently sits third among all goaltenders in save percentage (SV%) at .927, according to NHL Statistics. It would be great if important people running broadcasts could remember Talbot even a quarter as much as they fawn over Sidney Crosby and Evgeny Malkin so much.

When Talbot spoke about Simon Edvinsson and Moritz Seider to close out the TNT/HBO broadcast, he gave a refreshing answer. In a rebuttal to a question about whether Talbot was surprised at their game so far, Talbot replied yes. He’s impressed that with an average age of 22 between the two of them, they would face the highest levels of competition night in and night out and play this well. It’s nice to hear, as the prototypical hockey answer seems to be, “Well yes, they’re great players,” then move on in their discussion.

The success Calbot is seeing isn’t new. His career NHL SV% is .914. Since 2020-21, he’s had an SV% above .910 all, but the season he played for the Ottawa Senators in 2022-23, where he finished with a .898 SV%. In 2023-24, Talbot finished top-nine by SV%, as well. 

For a team yearning for more than Alex Lyon to hold down the fort, Talbot provides much-needed stability and relief.

Whether he stays the full two years of his contract or not remains to be seen. Likely, he’s in it for the full term and will help a wild prospect in net make the transition to the NHL sooner rather than later.

Sebastian Cossa is a different guy. Similar to Simon Edvinsson, where he doesn’t fit into one box or characterization, Cossa is a different kind of monster. 

The pairing might be a bit odd, especially to start, but the tandem could be something fun to watch for the next year or so. Talbot is calm and steady, while Cossa is getting more refined, but is still an instinctual goalie. Opposite to a collected, patient Talbot, Cossa uses his impressive skating and mind to anticipate the opponent’s moves. Sometimes, Cossa’s method is incredible, other times he’s flailing around hoping the puck is somewhere other than his net.

Although I would love to watch Lyon help Cossa transition to the NHL, it seems like the Detroit Red Wings aren’t so fond of him. After carrying the team throughout most of the 2023-24 campaign, Lyon was the third starter this season. If it were me, he would have been the first name I called upon. I appreciate other goalies getting chances, especially when they take a nice paycheck from the team, I still value Lyon’s work last season above all else. Also, Lyon did nothing in the preseason to prove he shouldn’t be the number-one starter, so I was disappointed when he was the third guy in a game.

Cossa plays a more similar style to Lyon, which is another reason why I hoped the duo would come to fruition. It may not be a bad thing to have someone completely opposite to Cossa, though, especially someone with such a calm demeanor on the ice.

Seemingly a sponge, Cossa absorbs information from his coaches and teammates like few others I have seen. It’s helped him grow so quickly into a more controlled netminder.  Talbot should do nothing but help in this department.

In contrast, I feel for Ville Huso. He seems like a stellar human being who is going through a challenging time. The team in front of him hasn’t made his job much easier, so I can empathize with the man. At the same time, he mentioned the group that we have with the Grand Rapids Griffins. They are a fun bunch and it might help Husso gain the confidence he needs to play in the NHL again. Cossa and Husso should provide a stable, effective duo in net for the Grand Rapids Griffins, as well. The pair seem to have a good understanding and respect in regards to sharing the net.

Having Talbot as the go-to guy while Lyon is hurt and Husso is gaining his confidence back is refreshing. A nice goaltender who bails out his team more often than not.