Oilers Still Exploring Goalie Market in Last-Minute Deadline Surprise?

While GM Stan Bowman said he would imagine the team is done, he left the door open to a significant move and said the team will listen and explore options over the next 24 hours (now about 6). The Edmonton Oilers may not be done making changes in goal ahead of the NHL trade deadline.

Could one of those maybes include goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky?

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Early Friday morning on TSN, insider Kevin Weekes reported that several goaltenders have surfaced in trade discussions across the league. The list included Sergei Bobrovsky, Jesper Wallstedt, Connor Ingram, Jordan Binnington, Anthony Stolarz, and Stuart Skinner as names that have been discussed in different scenarios.

From an Oilers perspective, the most interesting detail is that the organization has reportedly spoken with Bobrovsky’s camp. While that does not mean a trade is close, it signals Edmonton could again be exploring its options in net.

Oilers Still Searching for Stability in Goal

Edmonton has already made several moves this season to try to solidify its goaltending situation. The team traded away Stuart Skinner earlier in the season as part of a deal to acquire Tristan Jarry, as well as acquiring Ingram earlier in the year.

The goaltending combination of Jarry and Ingram has been unable to provide the level of goaltending the Oilers were hoping for, and with a team featuring players such as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the team is in win-now mode, and as such, cannot afford any questions about their goaltending as the playoffs approach.

It is for this reason that it makes sense for the Oilers to at least investigate the market for a potential goaltending upgrade.

Bobrovsky Deal Would Be Complicated

If Edmonton were to seriously pursue Bobrovsky from the Florida Panthers, the financial logistics would be significant. The veteran goaltender carries a sizable cap hit, meaning Florida would almost certainly need to retain up to 50 percent of his salary for the deal to be feasible.

Even then, Edmonton would likely need to include Jarry in the transaction to help balance the cap implications.

At this stage, nothing suggests a deal is imminent. Still, with the Oilers continuing to search for stability in goal and the deadline rapidly approaching, their presence in the goalie rumor mill is hardly surprising. If their current tandem cannot find consistency, Edmonton may yet look to make one more move before the deadline passes.

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