Boston Bruins

A Trade — Not Waivers — Is Only Way for Oilers to Land Bruins Goalie

The Oilers may covet a Bruins goalie, but with a waiver claim unlikely, a trade could be the only route to bring him to Edmonton.

by
NHL Trade Talk
August 11, 2025

If the Edmonton Oilers want Boston Bruins goaltender Michael DiPietro in their crease this season, they can’t sit back and hope for the waiver wire to solve their goaltending puzzle. They’ll need to make a trade to jump the line.

DiPietro has been pegged as a potential netminding target for Edmonton this summer. In fact, the 26-year-old has become a popular name among analysts and insiders who believe he’ll be dumped by the Bruins, who have a three-headed goalie situation heading into training camp.

As part of the Providence Bruins in 2024-25, he posted a stellar .927 save percentage over 50 games — the second-best mark in the league. He’s got upside as one of the league’s future young goalies.

Boston heads into training camp with Jeremy Swayman, veteran Joonas Korpisalo, and DiPietro. Both Swayman and Korpisalo are looking to bounce back after disappointing seasons, and it appears the Bruins intend to give them a chance to do so. That leaves DiPietro as the odd man out. Waivers are the most likely next step.

Waivers Won’t Work for the Oilers

The idea of grabbing a promising goalie for free off the waiver wire is appealing for the Oilers. The problem for Edmonton is NHL waiver priority. According to Allan Mitchell of The Athletic, it’s really not an option.

If Boston tries to send DiPietro down to the AHL, he would need to clear waivers — and with his recent AHL numbers, it’s highly unlikely he would make it past multiple goalie-needy teams before the Oilers’ turn in the claim order.

That reality means general manager Stan Bowman would need to work out a trade with Boston if Edmonton truly wants DiPietro. Any deal would likely happen late in training camp, once the Bruins finalize their roster decisions.

For the Oilers, the timing would be critical. Waiting too long risks another team swooping in, while moving too early could mean overpaying before Boston’s goaltending picture is settled. Either way, waivers won’t be the answer — if DiPietro ends up in Edmonton, it will be because the Oilers picked up the phone and made a deal happen.

Next: A Hidden Prospect Could Open Big Trade Doors for the Oilers