The Oilers are in need of a goaltender to call the summer a success

The Edmonton Oilers need another goaltender. They had a big day when the National Hockey League’s free agency period opened, with the long rumoured signing of Zack Hyman coming to fruition, a depth centre signing in Derek Ryan, and Warren Foegele arriving via trade.

Adding those players into a forward group that already includes Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Jesse Puljujärvi, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins should allow Edmonton to balance their attack, offer a ferocious forecheck, and outscore opponents more often, even on rare nights when #97 is held off the score sheet.

On defence, the picture isn’t so clear, but it will definitely look different. After losing Adam Larsson to the Seattle Kraken, and trading two young and up-and-coming defensemen, in Caleb Jones and Ethan Bear, Ken Holland stopped the bleeding of talent when he re-signed Tyson Barrie (3 years, $4.5 Million) and Cody Ceci (4 years, $3.25 million).

With Duncan Keith also a new arrival on the blue line, Edmonton’s defensive core will have a much different composition in 2021-22. Excepting a miraculous recovery by Oscar Klefbom, the team’s defensive roster will likely allow more shots and chances against than they did last season, so they’ll need to score in bunches too.

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And that brings us to the one area where no real change has happened, not for lack of trying if the rumor mill can be believed. As things stand, the Oilers are bringing back the elderly Mike Smith as a starter, and Mikko Koskinen as a somewhat overpaid backup. Admittedly, Smith surprised everyone with his play in 2020-21, and we are all hoping he continues to defy Father Time, but a heavy workload could easily lead to injury, and Koskinen has proven, more than once, that he isn’t suited to the starting role.

We know Ken Holland was working the phones this week, in on goaltenders like Darcy Kuemper, but he was ultimately outbid there by the Colorado Avalanche, who lost their own starter to the Seattle Kraken. Like a game of musical chairs, the music is about to stop and we are running out of seats. Returning the duo that lead Edmonton to a 1-7 playoff record over the past two seasons, each a year older, and with a potentially less competent D group in front of them, seems like a recipe for disaster.

There are a couple of options still out there, such as Alexander Georgiev or perhaps one of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ netminders, but for better or worse, Holland so far hasn’t been willing to pay a high price to shore up the position.

Entering the pre-season, only a little more than a month away, without some changes on the back end, would be a risky decision, and with the Oilers clearly in “win now” mode, those future costs, in prospects and picks, might need to be reevaluated.