3 under-the-radar trades that will complete the Edmonton Oilers at the deadline
Kaapo Kahkonen would provide insurance and a solid 1B
While Stuart Skinner has more than shown us he can be one of the NHL’s more consistent goaltenders, it’s also true that February has been a different story for the young goaltender. Right now, however, Calvin Pickard is not a 1B, given his 10 total outings this season, so there is a chance Edmonton ultimately shops around for one more netminder.
Doing so would make sense, as the Oilers score enough as it is and, despite the other two names on this list, they already more than hold up defensively. But down the stretch, Skinner cannot go on these hot and cold runs, which has been the case since the 2024 calendar year began, or to be more accurate, a little beforehand.
Someone rather affordable like Kaapo Kahkonen, who is almost a guarantee to be moved elsewhere come the trade deadline, would be a major upgrade as a 1B. Acquiring someone like Kahkonen would keep Skinner from starting over 75 percent of the Oilers games when the playoff race gets serious from mid-March until mid-April, and we would likely continue to see him bringing his A-Game when he lines up between the pipes.
Overall, the Oilers couldn’t go wrong adding a goaltender like Kahkonen, who could end up putting together more than a few sound starts for a talented team like Edmonton.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of February 20th)