Oilers’ Goaltending Could Spark the NHL’s Biggest Mid-Season Move

The Edmonton Oilers are entering the 2025-26 season with familiar faces in net — and a clear fork in the road ahead. Ready to start the season with the same two goalies from last year, one scribe believes that a total overhaul, much like what the Colorado Avalanche did in 2024-25, could be a part of the Oilers’ mid-season plans.

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Allan Mitchell of The Athletic didn’t mince words in his latest analysis, noting that “fans should expect either a Stanley Cup delivered with Skinner-Pickard or a complete overhaul in goal by this time next year. Possibly sooner.”

That blunt assessment means that Edmonton’s goaltending tandem Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard are on notice. They are set to share the crease once again, and the team’s confidence they can turn things around under a new goalie coach is high. But if things go sideways, it could be a complete reimaging of the crease before the playoffs.

While Skinner’s age and potential bounce-back to his 2022-23 form (.914 save percentage) offer some hope, the margin for error is razor-thin. The Oilers don’t have time to waste as their Cup window is closing.

Mitchell notes that the Oilers’ defensive structure is already playoff-caliber. Last season, Edmonton ranked ninth in shots allowed per 60 minutes across all game states, and 11th at five-on-five. With their elite offensive firepower, those suppression numbers should be enough to support a Cup run — if the goaltending holds up.

But the organization’s patience will not be endless. Two straight seasons of deep playoff runs have created a “win now” expectation in Edmonton. If Skinner and Pickard falter, the Oilers’ front office may be forced into an aggressive move, whether via trade or free agency, to find the netminder who can push them over the top like the Avs did when they took only 11 days to overhaul their goaltending tandem completely. They traded Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen and picked up MacKenzie Blackwood and acquired Scott Wedgewood.

Mitchell seems to be suggesting that Edmonton can either ride the Skinner and Pickard tandem to hockey’s ultimate prize or change course entirely. For the Oilers, this season isn’t just about chasing the Cup — it’s about determining whether their current goaltending is championship-worthy, or if the next step forward requires different faces in the crease.

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