Could the same goaltender who helped deny the Edmonton Oilers a Stanley Cup two postseasons in a row be a part of winning them one?
That's what the front office will be hoping for as free agency begins in just under one month's time after trying to acquire him at this past deadline. With goaltending once again a massive need, the Oilers will be hoping that Florida Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky enters the free agent market and gives himself a chance to win one more Stanley Cup before calling it a career.
The good news for them is that there is a decent chance that Bobrovsky opts to leave Florida. While Bobrovsky and the Panthers have been negotiating a new contract, it seems that the two sides are not remotely near common ground, meaning that such a deal could have little chance of materializing.
The bad news for Edmonton is that the journey to bringing in Bobrovsky could be a long one. Given that Bobrovsky will undoubtedly be a target for teams looking to win the Stanley Cup, the Oilers need to move fast in order to position themselves to sign him.
The team's salary cap situation requires a Darnell Nurse trade within the next month
While the Oilers have over $14 million in cap space, that doesn't include the fact that goaltender Connor Ingram, who established himself as the starter late in the season over former Pittsburgh Penguin Tristan Jarry, is set to hit free agency at the start of July. And unless the Oilers commit some money towards resigning such free agency-bound players, they will have to fill two defensive lines, find room to bring in another forward, and try to reinvent their goaltending.
That also doesn't include the fact that defenseman Darnell Nurse could find himself out of Edmonton sometime this offseason. While there is a year left before Nurse's no-move clause ends and he is able to be traded anywhere with the exception of 10 teams, it seems that the Oilers' front office wants to get Nurse out at the earliest possible opening.
If that opening presents itself within the next month, the Oilers should try and clear Nurse's $9.25 million cap hit to afford themselves the space for a big start to free agency. Even if the Oilers take on a contract as part of a return, they should be able to give themselves enough cap space to bring Bobrovsky into the picture and have enough space to re-sign some of their pending free agents.
Speaking of Bobrovsky ...
... it seems that there could be some sticking points when it comes to negotiating with the two-time Stanley Cup champion.
AFP Analytics projects that Bobrovsky's next deal will be worth just south of $6 million per year while having an expected duration of two seasons attached.
Considering that Bobrovsky will turn 38 in September, a two-year contract makes sense. Bobrovsky might have gotten the Panthers to two Stanley Cup titles, but his numbers dipped quite significantly from 2024-25 to 2025-26. And he isn't going to be getting any younger, meaning that the Oilers or any team hoping to sign him shouldn't expect to be giving him more than a few years in a significant goaltending role.
The Oilers should stick to the projected price range but they should also back off any move for Bobrovsky if the term or the pay is going to exceed AFP Analytics' estimate.
Is this a Roloson 2.0, at least to start?
I credit my colleague Sean Mallon for this pointer.
Goaltender Dwayne Roloson was traded to the Oilers prior to their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2006; that season also served as the former Minnesota Wild netminder's age-36 season. While Roloson's numbers pre-trade weren't all that bad - he recorded a .910 save percentage to start the season in Minnesota - he was averaging three goals conceded per game while posting 6-17-1 record through 23 starts.
Roloson's numbers rebounded following the trade; while his save percentage dipped slightly, he would post an 8-7-4 record and a 2.43 goals against average to close the regular season.
He was just as good, if not better, during the Oilers' postseason campaign. Leading up to an injury in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, Roloson posted a 12-5 record, a 2.33 goals against average, and a .927 save percentage.
His numbers dipped once again following the Oilers' trip to the Stanley Cup Final, with his goals against average once again reaching three goals per game by the 2007-08 campaign and his overall record being below .500 in each of the two seasons that followed his postseason performance. That said, he would finish his Oilers career with a 2008-09 campaign that saw him put together a 28-24-9 record, a 2.77 goals against average, and a .915 save percentage; the win and save percentage metrics represented Roloson's best such measures during his time in Edmonton.
Like Roloson to some extent, Bobrovsky numbers weren't the best during the 2025-26 campaign. And unless the front office signs Bobrovsky to a team friendly/buy-low deal, they will be getting their pound of flesh chewed up, spit out, and booed off stage (the third option might be a little too unrealistic but I have to stick the Eminem references when I write myself a chance to use them) by the Edmonton media and fans.
But considering that Bobrovsky can flip the switch when the playoffs come around, it is worth the effort for the Oilers to try and get a contract done.
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