Below is a transcript of Max Talbot's end of the season session with the media on locker clean-out day ...

Q: Max is it a sad day for you guys?

“Well its always a sad day, you reflect on the season, you sometimes look at the guys and some guys are not going to be back. It’s never fun, you reflect on the season and then at the same time you need to be proud of yourself because we did great things. But, I think that there’s 29 teams at the end of the year that are in that situation, there’s only one winner. And 29 teams have to go through this, getting your equipment and saying goodbye to the guys, we’re in this game to win championships and every time that you fall short it’s disappointing.”

Max Talbot posted a career high in goals (19), assists (15) and points (34), playing in 81 of 82 games in 2011-12

Q: Max in general terms, what do you guys need to go to the next level?

“Talking form experience I can definitely look at this year as a great step for this organization., Meaning that, when you look at all the rookies on this team that played in their first playoff game, I can go back 6 years ago with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and you look at the core we had that year and we got totally beat against the Ottawa Senators who went on to the Stanley Cup Finals, they were just too good for us we lost in the first round, five games and it went really quick. So you look at the chance we had playing against Pittsburgh 6 games and then losing that way against the Devils with high expectations, so it’s disappointing but at the same time it stings. What we can take from that is big for this team.”

Q: On what happened against the Devils…

”I think it’s too early to tell, you obviously think about it. I’ve been thinking about it the last four games straight and it’s disappointing but we played against a good team. The Devils, I don’t know what’s going to be next for them and if they are going to go all the way or what, but they’re a good team with an elite goaltender and they work hard and are working the system. You’ve got to give them credit, at the same time it’s disappointing because I thought we could beat them.”

Q: Is this team better then you thought when you signed here, meaning that there were so many young kids and you guys ended up with more than 100 points to go into the second round?

“Definitely. You sign with a team and you’re not sure how the chemistry is going to go and I think all through the start of the season, right now reflecting on it, the start of the season you think, okay when are we going to kind of stop playing well. Everybody was talking about the chemistry and how it was going to gel together and I think we never really slowed down. We were always really consistent, and we kept on improving. All the rookies just stepped up all throughout the season. We had injuries, Chris Pronger our captain and you look at what we battled, it’s huge. You look at it again, yes it’s disappointing but for years to come it’s great news that this room has a lot of character and we were able to battle through this, this year.”

Q: A lot of people think that Giroux is going to be the captain next year. What kind of captain do you think he would be if they appoint him that?

“A great one. I think he’s got it in him. You look at the playoffs, and even through the season, he was an elite player the whole season, one of the best in the league. But, I think being a captain is not just being a good player. It’s about character and it’s about, that’s why you call it leader. Leading the guys in this dressing room, the trust of your teammate. And I think Claude has definitely got that, he’s got the passion, he’s got the work ethic and he never takes a day off. He’s a young guy, but that’s the great thing about being a captain, you would be it for years to come. We’ll see what happens, but he would be ready to step up.”

Q: Question on Bryz adjusting…

“I think the last couple of months of the season we saw what kind of goalie he is.”