Oilers Kicked Tires on Silovs Trade, But Key Issue Held Them Back

According to insider Frank Seravalli, the Edmonton Oilers were reportedly among the teams interested in acquiring goaltender Arturs Silovs. Ultimately, Silovs was traded by the Vancouver Canucks to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but not before the Oilers explored the possibility of acquiring Silovs.

Seravalli is reporting that the Oilers engaged in trade talks with Vancouver but bowed out over concerns about his fit. There were reportedly internal doubts about whether Silovs would be an upgrade over their current tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. When the Oilers couldn’t convince themselves he was undoubtedly better, they chose not to pursue the deal.

“The Oilers, they were one of the teams that were in on Silovs,” Seravalli said Tuesday. “But they weren’t entirely sure that Silovs was better than what they have now… and don’t really have a ton to offer.”

The Penguins added Silovs to their goaltending mix, largely based on his potential upside and after a stellar AHL postseason. He earned Calder Cup MVP honors with a .931 save percentage. Still, his NHL track record doesn’t offer guarantees that he’ll be able to translate that over on a consistent level. The Oilers weren’t prepared to take a chance and be wrong, when both their netminders have more proven numbers.

In nine starts with the Canucks last season, Silovs posted a 2-6-1 record, a .861 save percentage, and a 3.65 goals-against average.

It’s not like the Oilers were going to have to spend much to acquire Silovs. Pittsburgh gave up Chase Stillman and a 2027 fourth-round pick. Still, Edmonton opted out. This should give fans an indication that there’s still a lot of confidence in what Skinner and Pickard can do, especially under a new goalie coach.

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