EDMONTON, AB - Cam Talbot isn't afraid of being honest.
At the moment, the Oilers netminder is weighing his options for when the season ends, deliberating whether he should compete in the World Championships or take some time to re-adjust his game.
"That's yet to be determined," Talbot said Wednesday following Oilers practice. "It's been an up and down year for myself that wears on you both mentally and physically. That's why I'm taking a bit of time here to decide what's best for me and my family - whether it's time away or a little bit more hockey."
It's been a down year for the keeper, who is 29-31-3 with a 3.05 goals-against average and .907 save percentage, which is quite off from his stellar 2016-17 campaign when he had 42 wins, a .919 save percentage and seven shutouts.
He's aware of his numbers but maintains he's still the same goalie capable of reaching the same level of play as last year.
"If you compare this to my first four years, this is the outlier," Talbot said. "It wasn't just last year; I had three good years before that.
"I don't see myself as two different goaltenders. I see myself as one guy. I went through a couple tough stretches this year that skewed my numbers a little bit but all in all, I'm the same guy year in and year out I believe."
The biggest factor in play, Talbot believes, is confidence. And he's committed to getting back the confidence he exuded in the previous season.
"Once you start rolling, start making some big saves in big moments it just continues to snowball," he said. "The last couple months, I've felt like myself again.
"I'm just going to continue to roll with it, try to finish the season strong and finish where I want to start next year."
BLOG: Talbot's self-evaluation
Goaltender assessed his season on Wednesday
