A slight improvement between the pipes.
It feels like there is a move that has yet to be made. The Detroit Red Wings went with Ville Husso, Alex Lyon, and James Reimer in goal a year ago. This summer, Yzerman replaced pending free agent Reimer with veteran netminder Cam Talbot. Talbot, 37, signed a two-year deal for $2.5 million annually. Talbot is coming off a stout 27-20-6 season backed by a 2.50 goals against average (GAA) and a .913 save percentage with the Los Angeles Kings. Over his 11-year career, Talbot boasts a .913 save percentage to go along with a 2.63 goals-against average.
The Detroit Red Wings received elite-level goaltending from Lyon in January and February last season, but the fan-favorite netminder's tank ran dry when the Red Wings needed him most through March and April. Lyon finished the year with a 3.05 GAA and a .904 save percentage. It was a lost season for Husso, who continued to battle injury after injury, going 9-5-2 with a lackluster 3.55 GAA and a .892 save percentage. Reimer was as hot and cold as they come throughout the year, performing above expectations some nights and ducking at shot attempts toward the goal on other occasions. Reimer finished the year with an 11-8-2 record to go with a 3.11 GAA and a .904 save percentage.
If you follow my work, I held what turned out to be false hope that the Red Wings would trade for veteran netminder Jacob Markstrom to pair with Alex Lyon this upcoming season and, then, in a perfect world, Sebastian Cossa the year after. That notion was quickly squashed when the Flames traded Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils early this off-season. I also thought that Yzerman could swing a deal for Linus Ullmark, knowing he and Don Sweeney have made deals in the past, the biggest being the Tyler Bertuzzi deal ahead of the trade deadline a year and a half ago. After Ullmark landed in Ottawa, I thought veteran John Gibson could be rejuvenated on a better team. Well, I was wrong on all three.
It appears as though Yzerman is willing to roll with the combination of Talbot, Husso, and Lyon, barring a trade, which is a slight improvement over the trio from a year ago. Yzerman also added veteran netminder Jack Campbell, who has struggled mightily over the past two seasons. Campbell figures to replace Michael Hutchinson in Grand Rapids and backup Cossa. If things unravel in Detroit, Campbell has plenty of NHL experience and can serve as a short-term solution if injuries mount as they did last season.