Talbot is thrilled to be apart of the Oilers' new 'upside'

Last season, goaltender Cam Talbot stepped in for an injured Henrik Lundqvist, one of the best goaltenders in the NHL over the last several seasons, and performed well for the New York Rangers. The Rangers won the Presidents trophy as the league's top team in the regular season with 113 points, and a key reason for that success was Talbot's stellar goaltending.

But in the offseason, Talbot was traded from New York to the Edmonton Oilers, who finished with one of the worst records in the league.

That's okay with Talbot, who projects as the Oilers' starting goaltender. Talbot believes the Oilers are on the rise, and he's thrilled to be apart of it.

"I was extremely excited to come to a team that's going to have a lot of upside coming in next season, a lot of excitement around the team, with a great core group of guys," Talbot told Matt Larkin of The Hockey News. "We're definitely heading in the right direction, and hopefully I can fit into their plans and grow with that team."

In 36 games last season, Talbot finished with a .926 save percentage and a 2.21 goals against average. He is one of many acquisitions new Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli has made this offseason. The Oilers have signed Andrej Sekera, traded for Griffin Reinhart, hired Todd McLellan, and, of course, drafted Connor McDavid.

"It's a very up-and-coming team. We're on the cusp of something," he said. "With a new system and new management in place, I think our team is maybe a year or two away from doing something special."

(h/t The Score)