It's not been a good run for the Edmonton Oilers in recent weeks, with a record of just 5-6-1 in their past 12 games, including their first two contests following the conclusion of the 4 Nations Face-Off break. From being within touching distance of both the top of the Western Conference and the best overall record in the NHL, the team now sit outside a home ice advantage playoff spot at the time of writing.
At the heart of this recent downtown in consistency, the 13 combined goals allowed in the past two games has once again reignited talk about how the Oilers need a quality upgrade in goal. And while Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard alone are not to blame for the consecutive defensive disasters, the reality is that the team does need to strengthen themselves between the pipes.
Yes ranking tied-12th best with an average of 2.88 goals allowed per game isn't bad at all, but it becomes worse when you consider the Oilers also allow the seventh-fewest shots on target per contest. It becomes even more concerning, when you consider they are only tied-22nd best with a .897 team save percentage.
TSN inside suggests Jordan Binnington to the Oilers
The question is, who is out there that the Oilers can realistically target between now and Mar. 7, who can actually help them? Well, giving due credit to David Staples of the Edmonton Journal, Darren Dreger of TSN has suggested that they should consider making a move for Jordan Binnington, who backstopped Team Canada to glory in the aforementioned 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
As we previously wrote back in November of 2023, this isn't the first time the Oilers have been linked to Binnington, (although Dreger does go to great lengths to explain it is just speculation on his part this time around). However, as with that previous time, we just don't believe he is the right answer in Edmonton.
Now yes, the 2011 third round draft pick does have a solid resume, which includes proving his ability to be clutch, highlighted by helping the St. Louis Blues win the Stanley Cup back in 2018-19. However, the reality is that he has never been able to capture that same level of consistency since.
In this respect, consider that Binnington is 16-19-4 so far this season, as he has produced a .898 save percentage, 2.84 GAA, .538 quality starts percentage and -3.3 GSAA. In fact he's similar to Skinner in a lot of ways, with the Oilers' number one going 20-13-4 in 2024-25 and in the process recording a .898 save percentage, 2.81 GAA, .526 quality starts percentage and -3.2 GSAA.
Differing temperaments in goal
One area where the rival goalies don't compare, is in how they are perceived around the NHL by the media and fans alike. While Skinner is renowned for being a calm and affable person, the narrative surrounding Binnington -- as per Jim Parsons of NHL Trade Talk -- is that he has a big ego and is prone to anger issues.
Even though we have made it clearer that the Oilers should look elsewhere to resolve their goalie woes, the contract situation also makes an potential deal less appealing and likely in its own right. Consider that the 31-year-old Binnington has an annual cap hit of $6 million, on a deal which runs through the end of the 2026-27 season.
On top of this, the Richmond Hill, Ontario native has a 18-team no-trade clause on his contract for this season specifically. In other words, even if a trade can be negotiated, are the Oilers one of those 18 teams and if so, would he be prepared to waive the clause? (Although you would like to think a team containing the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are not on the no-trade list, you never know.)
At the end of the day, the Oilers undoubtedly need an upgrade in goal to help strengthen their chances come playoff time. However, harsh or not, Binnington is not the player they should pursue, in order to address their need.
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