Should Oilers Copy Colorado’s Goalie Overhaul?: 4 Options

Last season, the Colorado Avalanche did the unthinkable. The franchise had the worst team save percentage in the entire NHL and went about fixing it by dumping the netminders they had and trading for two new ones. This season, the Edmonton Oilers find themselves in a similar and precarious position. Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard share the league’s worst save percentage, but are the Oilers thinking about following suit?

Sitting at .869, the Oilers are worse than the Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators, Montreal Canadiens, and Detroit Red Wings — all of whom round out the bottom five. It’s not the ideal place to be, particularly given the Oilers had goaltending questions coming into the 2025-26 season.

---

Granted, it hasn’t helped that the team’s defense has been a serious issue this year. The Oilers know that they need to get better before fully pointing fingers at Skinner or Pickard. Still, their goaltending hasn’t helped matters and often has been a liability.

In Colorado, instead of hoping things would magically improve, GM Chris MacFarland took bold, decisive action. He completely rebuilt the crease, acquiring Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood for a package of futures, mid-round picks, Justus Annunen, Alexandar Georgiev, and Nikolai Kovalenko.

Today, Colorado owns the best save percentage in the league at .922, proving that aggressive action can be the difference-maker.

This Should Be A Question The Oilers Ask

Now in December, time is not on the Oilers’ side. Even if Skinner or Pickard rebound, GM Stan Bowman has to be asking if he can really trust what he sees. How confident can he be going into the playoffs, even if Skinner starts to show well and Pickard isn’t posting some of the NHL’s worst numbers? Even bad goalies can go on a good run and there’s a chance that could fool Bowman into thinking he’s got the steady netminding he needs.

Edmonton’s top-end talent is unmatched. It is believed the defense can find their footing. The goaltending? That’s been a concern for several seasons. The only thing consistent about it is its inconsistency.

If the Oilers want to stabilize their season, they should consider following Colorado’s blueprint and aggressively pursuing a new goaltending tandem. Here are realistic targets:

Cam Talbot (Detroit)

The Red Wings are potentially going to be sellers and Talbot is 2.88 goals against and a .888 save percentage. The Red Wings aren’t doing well in the goaltending department and perhaps a change of scenery would help. Talbot was solid when he was with the Oilers. He could be again. He is in the final year of a deal that pays him $2.5 million. Unlike several other goaltending options, his salary is not an issue.

Sam Montembeault (Montreal)

Montembeault is a goaltender Team Canada is looking at, but he’s struggling this season. With a .861 save percentage and a 3.61 goals against average, his numbers have dropped from last season. Would the Canadiens — who are desperately trying to find a goaltending solution — be open to a goalie swap? He makes $3.15 million, so his salary compared to Skinner’s is a near wash.

Kevin Lankinen (Vancouver)

It’s hard to know what the Vancouver Canucks intend to do this season. All bets are off there and Kevin Lankinen is having a down season with a 3.48 goals against average and a .883 save percentage. Those numbers aren’t attractive, but the Canucks aren’t a good hockey team.

Vancouver gave a long-term deal to Thatcher Demko, and despite injury concerns, one has to wonder if Lankinen is ever going to be the guy there. He’s a bigger commitment at $4.5 million per season until 2030. There’s certainly risk here.

Elvis Merzlikins (Columbus)

If Jet Greaves is going to be the guy in Columbus, Elvis Merzlikins may be looking for a new home. He’s got two seasons remaining at $5.4 million per season and his numbers over the past few seasons haven’t been great. He’s likely the least attractive option of the four, but he might also be the least costly to acquire.

If the Oilers moved out Skinner and Pickard and replaced them with Talbot and Montembeault, would that be a big upgrade? The Oilers could make the money work by moving someone like Brett Kulak in a trade.

Next: Analytics Comparing Jordan Binnington to Skinner-Pickard are Eye-Opening