Edmonton Oilers: Two Mock Trades for Mikko Koskinen
Oilers’ goaltender Mikko Koskinen has struggled in the past couple of seasons behind Mike Smith, to say the least.
Allowing 4 goals on 4 shots isn’t something to glance over, as to me, that was the tip of the iceberg. Now it looks like the Oilers are starting the season with Smith and Koskinen again, which might be the biggest mistake of the off-season.
Almost any offer the Oilers got for him, they should’ve taken. The team lacks confidence in front of him, he doesn’t play well in long stretches, and he is making the most money between him and Smith.
Koskinen is still an NHL-caliber goalie, but he needs a fresh start. Playing in Edmonton is only going to hurt his career, and will only hurt the Oilers’ chances at a deep playoff run. There are 2 mock trades I’ve compiled, that make sense not only for the team but would make sense for Koskinen, as they both could help revamp his career.
Trading him to Columbus
Oilers Acquire: Joonas Korpisalo
Blue Jackets Acquire: Mikko Koskinen(25% retained)
A trade to Columbus makes the most sense for both sides. Flipping him for another struggling goaltender in Joonas Korpisalo would be perfect for both goalies, and both teams. Korpisalo is 27 years old, whereas Koskinen is 33, so the Oilers may have to either retain a little salary to make it work or add another piece into the deal. With Koskinen only having one year left, retaining 25% of his contract wouldn’t hurt too bad.
Korpisalo also has one year left on his contract but makes less than Koskinen. Both goalies had similar stats last season as well. Koskinen posted an .899 SV% with a 3.17 GAA through the regular season. While Korpisalo posted an .894 SV% with a 3.30 GAA.
Both players could use a fresh start, and this trade makes the most sense.
Trading him to Montreal
Oilers Acquire: Jake Allen
Habs Acquire: Mikko Koskinen, 2nd Round Pick.
Habs fans had almost no fear and an unlikely amount of confidence going into the playoffs last year. Their team beat out the division favorite Leafs, swept the Jets, and beat the Golden Knights before losing to the Lightning in the final. A good reason why Montreal fans had so much confidence, was because they knew if Price got injured, their backup would come in, and keep them in games, if not help them win.
This trade is a little more unlikely, as Allen was arguably the best backup goalie in the league behind certified legend Carey Price. But the Oilers were linked to Jake Allen in the past, and when Montreal exposed Price to Seattle for the expansion draft, the rumors began to fly that it was because the Habs had a trade lined up for Allen, and didn’t want to lose him for free.
Jake Allen had an 11-12-5 record with the Habs last year, while posting a .907 SV% and a 2.68 GAA. A much better stat line then Koskinen, but if the Oilers want their guy for the next few years, this is a deal they should be looking at, even if it involved including a prospect, or trading away Kassian with some salary retention, this would be the best trade Holland has made since being hired by the team.
Allen is 31, and is definitely much smaller then Koskinen is, sitting at 6’2 190. But the advantage would be that Allen is locked up for until 2023, and is only making $2.875M a season in comparison to Koskinen’s $4.5M a season. So if the Oilers are somehow able to get his contract off the books without retaining any salary, that’s a win in my books.