As the July 1st NHL free agency window opens in just a couple days, the Edmonton Oilers have very distinct needs that they must address this summer.
Whether it be directly in free agency or through trades, the Oilers have needs that will need to be addressed by general manager Stan Bowman.
At the very top of this list is goaltending, which needs a massive upgrade from last season.
Oilers goaltending needs an upgrade
The most likely scenario as we sit here before the opening of NHL free agency is that goaltender Connor Ingram does not re-sign with the Oilers. This creates a pretty big hole for the club and Bowman will need to fill his role.
The Oilers had four goaltenders occupy the crease for them last season and only Ingram was able to consistently provide stable goaltending. Through 32 games he held a 16-10-3 record with a 2.60 goals against average and a.899 save percentage. Ingram beat out both Tristan Jarry and Calvin Pickard for the starting job and held it from the new year all the way until the Oilers were eliminated in round one.
Heading into next season, the Oilers only have Jarry under contract currently on their NHL roster, who has two years remaining with a $5.375 million. The only other goaltender under contract with NHL experience is minor league depth goalie, Matt Tomkins who has six NHL games under his belt with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023-24.
Given where they are now, it leaves two real options for the Oilers to address this need. They must either sign a goaltender in free agency or trade for a goaltender.
Signing a goalie
Free agency is like a game of musical chairs for both sides, there are only 32 teams in the NHL for now and thus, there are a limited number of jobs. Add in the teams that do not have a specific need at a given position and the jobs to fight for becomes sparse.
On the flipside, there are only so many quality NHL players at each given position, there is a gap between true elite stars and replacement level players. Looking at the current crop of unrestricted free agents this year and it is not really a buyer's market, the goaltending market is no different.
At the top is 38 year old future hall of fame netminder, Sergei Bobrovsky. He will surely command a pretty penny and reports suggest he may be hunting for a long term contract. There is another veteran and 2026 Stanley Cup champion, Frederik Andersen at 36 years old. Another veteran in 38 year old Cam Talbot is set to become available.
There is also a lower class in both former Oilers netminders; Ingram and Skinner. Outside of them there are gambles in Daniil Tarasov, Samuel Ersson, and Vitek Vanecek.
Trading for a goalie
Trading for a netminder has it's own risks, not only do you have the risk of spending your limited NHL cap dollars on a subpar product but you also likely have to give up an asset (or more) to acquire this player. This can easily backfire with a player being sent the other way outperforming the other or a draft pick becoming a superstar.
Looking at the current trade market, there are a few names that may interest the Oilers with Connor Hellebuyck of course at the top. There are also established options reportedly available such as Jordan Binnington, Jacob Markstrom, and Elvis Merzlikins.
Then there is always betting on a young goalie to blossom into a full-time starter. This has happened with goalies like Arturs Silovs and Yaroslav Askarov in recent years. One such name has already been taken off the market after Sebastian Cossa was moved at the draft.
This leaves Devon Levi available along with exploiting a potential logjam situation with the Toronto Maple Leafs and pursuing one of Dennis Hildeby or Artur Akhtyamov.
Luckily for the Oilers, there are still plenty of options for them to pursue but if they wait the market out too long, they may be left without a goalie upgrade. Looking at their prospect pool, likely will not offer a lot of relief either.
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