Did the Oilers make the right call passing on a potential star netminder?
By Jim Lynch
Right now it seems like the only position the Edmonton Oilers still need to cover would be their goaltending. The team has Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen as their two netminders and one would imagine that is going to change before the season begins.
Finding a team to take on Koskinen is not going to be easy. However, if Edmonton is willing to the pay the price they might be able to find a potential trade partner. One team I thought would be an interesting destination was Arizona who until yesterday had a star goalie in Darcy Kuemper available for the Oilers.
Arizona sent Darcy Kuemper to Colorado for 2022 a first-round draft pick, a 2024 third-round draft pick and defenseman Conor Timmins. That is not a bad haul for the Coyotes for one goaltender. Now would it have been worth it for the Oilers to pay a price like that?
For a starting goaltender… YES! Edmonton needs a goalie. All the roster moves they have made means very little if they do not have good goaltending. Goaltending is what got Montreal and Winnipeg into the second round, and it was what bounced Pittsburgh out in the first round.
A team can have average goaltending during the regular season but come playoff time the goaltender is the difference between winning and losing on a good roster. So, did the Oilers miss the ball when they did not trade with Arizona, yes I think they did. However, there are still options on the board.
More from Oil On Whyte
- 3 Oilers Players Who Should See An Expanded Role In 2023 And 1 Who Should Not
- Three Battles To Watch At Edmonton Oilers Training Camp
- Keys to Success: What the Edmonton Oilers Need to Focus on for a Successful Season
- The Edmonton Oilers Mean Business This Season
- Pacific division predictions
First of all the team needs to find a spot for Koskinen. Maybe the Oilers can send him to San Jose for Adin Hill as the return. Hill was traded to San Jose ahead of the expansion draft in order to make sure Arizona did not lose him in the first place. So San Jose gave up a prospect and a second-round pick for Hill. Well, it is not going to be easy but Edmonton could send Koskinen and a 2023 second and third to San Jose for Hill. If they want a first-round pick I honestly think that is a move the team would need to make. They have to find a new spot for Koskinen as his cap hit is too high.
Hill is a big goalie who is unproven at the NHL level thus far, but Edmonton would give him that opportunity to prove himself. They give Hill a two or three-year deal worth 2 million and then the goalies for the Oilers are Hill and Smith. That combination could work for the franchise with the two splitting time.
Hill would have a great mentor in Mike Smith and by the time next the 2022-23 season rolls around Hill would probably be the team’s starting goalie. It would cost a high price to get rid of Koskinen and add Adin Hill, but I think it would be worth it after passing on Darcy Kuemper on day one of free agency.