Bern got younger in goal Sunday with the selection of Cam Talbot, formerly of the New York Rangers. The 26-year-old will be a solid backup for Mike Smith in the Bears goal and he comes cheap: $562,500 for this season and next. Bern, a team built for Season 1 by its original GM Adam Ross is one of the older clubs in the league with 18 players on the current roster at age 30 or older. Smith is 32 and should be able to perform at a high level for the remainder of his contract. But his backups last season – Jose Theodore and Matthieu Garon – aren’t as good as they once were. They are 38 and 36, respectively. The addition of Talbot should mean Garon’s expired contract will not be renewed and Theodore seems destined for Bern’s farm club in Lyon, France.
New Edinburgh general manager Marc Peninou used the 12th overall pick to select a prospect, center Sam Reinhart. The 6-2, well-rounded teen, went second overall in June’s NHL draft. The Capitals will have to wait a couple of seasons to get Reinhart into the lineup, but by the time John Tavares and Derek Stepan start to see their talent fade, Reinhart will be right there to prevent any drop-off at center. Reinhart is 6 years younger than both Tavares and Stepan.
Michele Castaldini, GM of the St. Petersburg Red Stars, opted for one of the most ready players available in Norwegian Mats Zuccarello Aasen. Zuccarello, who was Talbot’s teammate in New York, is tiny but he is fast and creative. St. Pete has always been well stocked at forward and the addition of the 26-year-old gives them four really solid left wings in Erik Cole, Valterri Filppula, Artem Anisimov. The newcomer is probably too good to be a fourth-line player and Calstaldini might have to work a little managerial magic to get Zuccarello more ice time.
Milan’s second pick of the draft was a solid all-around defenseman out of the Detroit organization. Danny Dekeyser might challenge for a spot out of training camp, but he’ll play better in a few years and he should be a mainstay on the back line for the Guerriero, probably on the second pairing but maybe on the first. Dekeyser, 23, is 6-3. Milan’s first pick in the draft was forward Tyler Johnson, another 23-year-old, who was taken fourth overall.
Helsinki GM Trevor Grimm is next up at the draft podium for pick number 15. There are six players with superstar potential (PO of 80 or more) remaining on the board. Three of them are goaltenders and the other three are forwards. Central Scouting Bureau’s list has Zemgus Girgensens, a Latvian center, ranked highest among the remaining players. Some attractive prospects also remain available, including the third and fourth picks in the NHL draft, Leon Draisaitl and Sam Bennett. Bratislava goes after Helsinki and then London and Prague will both make their second picks of the draft, with Prague scheduled to make its third pick right after its second.
