Sens coach indicates Cam Talbot may be back much sooner than expected

The acquisition of goaltender Cam Talbot over the summer was a big one for the Ottawa Senators. The team, which has long struggled with goaltending, was able to ditch the oft-injured Matt Murray and get Talbot to Ottawa without giving up much in return. And then Talbot got injured.

The 35-year-old hurt his ribs in training camp and, at the time, the Sens said it could be the end of November before he returned. However, Ottawa coach D.J. Smith told reporters Thursday that Talbot is now taking shots in practice, which means he's ahead of schedule.

"He is clearly ahead of his recovery timeline," said Smith.

"He's doing great. If you asked him, he'd play. It's the trainers that have held him away from himself," Smith added.

The Senators have done fairly well without Talbot, going 4-2-0 in six games. With an experienced netminder between the pipes, Ottawa should be a force to be reckoned with given the improvements made over the last few months.

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