The Edmonton Oilers are entering the must-win season of all must-win seasons. This is a team that fell to the Florida Panthers in the last two Stanley Cup Finals. So what's pushing them to win it all this year?
Well, superstar Connor McDavid's contract runs out after this upcoming season, and he could very well test out free agency. If McDavid leaves, their Stanley Cup window is closed and sealed shut.
So, it's up to the Oilers to ensure they have the best roster available in hopes they can hoist the Stanley Cup next June. But if there is one weakness, it is at goaltender, an issue the team has dealt with for years. The Oilers should look to bring in more depth.
Luckily for them, Ilya Samsonov is still available in free agency.
Ilya Samsonov makes sense as Oilers backup goaltending option
Let's start with Edmonton's goaltending issue. The Oilers have banked on Stuart Skinner to be their answer in net, but he has made it difficult to bank on him. Just last year in the regular season, Skinner posted an .896 save percentage and a 2.81 goals allowed average.
But in the playoffs, Skinner played so poorly in the first round against the Los Angeles Kings, that he lost the starter's role. Calvin Pickard took over and played strongly, but an injury forced the Oilers to go back to Skinner.
Skinner had a .889 save percentage, a 2.99 goals allowed average, and a 7-7-1 record in 15 games played. In the Stanley Cup Final, Skinner posted a .861 save percentage and a 3.8 goals allowed average.
The Oilers are running it back with their goaltending tandem from last season. But it wouldn't hurt if they brought in a goaltender like Samsonov to compete for a spot.
Samsonov does bring playoff experience during his time with both the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs. In his four playoff trips (two trips each for Capitals and Maple Leafs), Samsonov .901 save percentage and 3.05 goals allowed average on a 6-14 record.
Sure, the numbers might not be the greatest, but it doesn't hurt to bring in another goalie option in training camp, possibly on a professional tryout (PTO), to see if he can bring something to the team. Not to mention, possibly a change of scenery could do wonders for Samsonov.
The Oilers need to do everything they can to make sure that McDavid will want to stay in Edmonton for the rest of his career. Setting the team up to win the Stanley Cup this year would help with those eventual negotiations. Exploring their options at goaltender to ensure it won't be a problem for the playoffs should be at the top of the list.