Edmonton Oilers

Insider Says Oilers Will Add Goaltender This Coming Summer

The Edmonton Oilers won’t change this up this season, but one insider says the team will be adding a goalie this summer. What do they need?

by
Jim Parsons
March 25, 2025

The Edmonton Oilers will run with their current goaltending tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard and go as far in the playoffs as that combination will take the team. However, come the off-season, expect some goaltending changes in Edmonton. This summer could get interesting, with some tough choices looming for the organization.

Bob Stauffer, host of Oilers Now, said during a conversation with Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli that the plan this summer is to find a solution to the netminding inconsistencies in Edmonton. “I know for a fact they’re gonna do that,” Stauffer said.

Stauffer didn’t believe the Oilers would be looking to run Skinner out of town or replace him as the starter, but finding another 1B goalie to challenge Pickard for starts is on the agenda.

Is Another 1B Goalie Enough for the Oilers?

The fan base is split on Skinner this season. Some are confident he’ll find his game and go on the kind of run that took the Oilers to game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season. Others don’t believe he’ll compare to the better goalies in the playoffs, and he will ultimately be Edmonton’s downfall. If he struggles, the Oilers will call upon Pickard.

Skinner and Pickard Edmonton Oilers — Calvin Pickard Stuart Skinner Oilers penalty kill struggles

If Skinner isn’t better than average down the stretch, questions about whether he can be trusted next season will surface. That could affect the kind of 1B option the Oilers look at via trade or free agency.

UFA options include Dan Vladar, Jake Allen, and Vitek Vanacek. How much of an upgrade any of them are over Pickard is debatable. In 27 games this season, Pickard has a .901 save percentage and 2.63 goals against. In 2023-24, he posted even better numbers (.909 and a 2.45 save percentage). Vladar’s numbers are lower and have been over the past three seasons. Allen has played well, but only marginally.

The Oilers could make a trade and go with someone like John Gibson, but that would mean spending a lot more per season and using up critical salary cap space. The talk is that he’s not looking to be a 1B, and that’s a potential issue if both netminders are expecting the bulk of the starts.

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