Former Oiler Denies Rumors Linking Team to Young Goalie

Former Edmonton Oilers goaltender Devan Dubnyk essentially shot down any speculation of the Oilers being connected to a younger, more unproven goaltender this season. While Dubnyk, a former goaltender himself, didn’t say the Oilers wouldn’t acquire a younger player to put into their system, thinking that this player would be an upgrade over Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard is unrealistic.

Edmonton has been linked to several names this season, including Sebastian Cossa, Nico Daws, Michael DiPietro, Arturs Silovs (before Silovs was moved to Pittsburgh), and other young netminders. They’ve not yet traded for any of them. Dubnyk explained why in a recent interview.

He noted, when you’re in “win-now” mode, this is not the time to gamble on an unproven young goalie. If you bring in a prospect you believe is NHL-ready — someone who could step in right away and make a difference — that’s a different story. The Oilers can’t afford to give any young goalies the time they need to develop under pressure and in big-game situations.

The Oilers also can’t afford to allow a young backup to struggle, as they might naturally do while making the transition. If they aren’t quite ready, even if pegged to be an eventual starter, the Oilers would find themselves suddenly scrambling in the middle of the season.

Both situations would put a serious Stanley Cup contender like Edmonton at risk.

Could the Oilers Bolster Their Goalie Depth Chart?

Dubnyk didn’t rule out a trade altogether. He suggested that if the Oilers were really high on a guy, there could be a scenario where they take a risk. More likely, Edmonton would trade for a high-end prospect to go into their pipeline as a “third guy.”

Dubnyk argued that with a veteran like Calvin Pickard in the mix, you’d have the flexibility to give the young goalie controlled opportunities — a few games here and there — to see where he’s at without throwing him into the fire.

Going younger with someone who hasn’t had dozens, if not over 100, starts in the NHL isn’t in the cards for the Oilers. The pressure to win is too high, and a season can’t be thrown away if the team takes a risk that ultimately doesn’t pay off. Everyone should have known better. The Oilers need stability in goal now, not a development project.

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As for goalies on the bubble that might be of intrigue, there are a few.

Viktek Vanecek out of Utah might be an intriguing option. He’s a $1.5 million goalie in the final season of his current deal. He hasn’t played much in the past two seasons and struggled some, but also has a career goals against of 2.83 and a save percentage of .902.

Spencer Knight of the Chicago Blackhawks is someone the team would like to re-sign, but he’s a restricted free agent in the final year of his contract at $4.5 million. He’s got 95 NHL starts on his resume.

Daniel Vladar, out of Calgary, has 105 games to his credit and a 2.98 goals against average. However, he has a .895 career save percentage.

If the Buffalo Sabres made Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen available, the Oilers might look at someone like him.

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