Insider Wonders About Oilers Interest in Multiple Sabres After GM Change

The Edmonton Oilers made their long-awaited move for a goaltender on Friday, acquiring Tristan Jarry and Sam Poulin from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a package of Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick.

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Things came full circle in a hurry, as the Oilers and Penguins met just days later on Tuesday night, with Jarry and Skinner going head-to-head in what turned out to be anything but a goaltending duel. Still, Edmonton emerged with a 6–4 victory, and their new netminder is now 2–0–0 in the blue, orange, and white — a strong start to the experiment.

While Jarry has solidified the starting role, fans remain unsure about Calvin Pickard’s performance as backup. Because of that, chatter around them continuing to search for another goaltender is still swirling, and insider David Pagnotta recently mentioned several Sabres goalies and a skater as names to watch for the Oilers and the rest of the league now that the aggressive Jarmo Kekalainen is in charge in Buffalo.

Pagnotta said:

“I’m sure these conversations will come up again… Whether it’s Alex Lyon for a backup or whatever a two, 1B kind of role or scenario, which it would likely be in this case, at least for Edmonton, a backup. And then there were other teams talking about UPL, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Now with Jarmo and the aggressive nature they want him to have, maybe those types of discussions pick up. The other one again, Alex Tuch, what do they do there?”

The 33-year-old Lyon is in the first season of the two-year, $3 million contract he signed to join the Sabres as a UFA this summer. He’s filled in nicely, handling an unexpected heavy workload, going 6-6-3 with a 2.99 goals-against average, a .905 save percentage, and one shutout across 15 starts.

Meanwhile, Luukkonen, 26, is in year two of his five-year, $23.75 million extension signed to stay in Buffalo in 2024, and Tuch, 29, is a pending UFA in the final season of the seven-year, $33.25 million deal he inked with the Golden Knights back in 2018.

Which Sabres Make Sense for the Oilers?

Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that Edmonton had poked around on Lyon just hours before finalizing the deal for Jarry, so it makes sense to hear that a potential fit remains in the cards as a lower-cost backup option.

Luukkonen, on the other hand, feels unlikely to be a target of the Oilers for several reasons, including his contract ($4.75 million AAV), the higher asking price to acquire him, and the fact that he’s closer to being a starter or true tandem goalie — something Edmonton no longer needs with Jarry in the fold.

And finally, Tuch would be a dream acquisition ahead of the deadline, giving Edmonton the final piece to an already lethal top-six. An extension in Buffalo hasn’t been ruled out, though the longer this drags out, the more likely a trade becomes.

The star winger certainly wouldn’t come cheap, but perhaps the Oilers would be willing to sacrifice more assets to land both Lyon and Tuch in a package deal, killing two birds with one stone.

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