What Should the Oilers Prioritize Most This Offseason?

The Edmonton Oilers took a massive step back this season after their first-round elimination at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks, but that doesn’t mean there’s any reason to throw in the towel on this group in the offseason. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl‘s injuries undoubtedly stalled the team in the first round, while one massive mistake by Stan Bowman during the regular season loomed large.

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Bowman had a goaltender who led his team to two straight Stanley Cup Finals. Stuart Skinner had his flaws, but he had done enough in his Oilers career to justify letting him chase it for another year unless an unbelievable opportunity to upgrade came along. Unfortunately, Bowman believed that the opportunity was Tristan Jarry.

Jarry ended up as the Oilers’ backup in the playoffs, with Connor Ingram attempting to lead Edmonton past Anaheim. The team’s new starter performed admirably given the situation thrust upon him, but it was never going to be enough to get 16 wins for the Oilers. Bowman’s team has the pieces to get through up front, but their defense and goaltending need massive changes if they’re ever going to convince McDavid and Draisaitl they have a chance to win.

With the head coaching search and Mike Babcock stealing the headlines in Edmonton, Bowman would be wise not to lose sight of the bigger picture and land a legitimate starting goaltender before it’s too late.

Oilers’ Starting Goaltender Options

The one name that makes a ton of sense for the Oilers if they can make it work is Jordan Binnington. The Canadian Olympic team starter has had some up-and-down moments in his NHL career since winning the Stanley Cup in 2019, but one thing we do know about him is that he is a gamer. When the chips are down, Binnington will show up with that one big save the team needed, which Edmonton really could’ve used in the 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup Finals.

Binnington coming to Edmonton to be McDavid’s starter and then winning him his first Stanley Cup after the pair combined to win the 4 Nations Face-Off makes too much sense, but sometimes that doesn’t always work out. The Oilers will need a backup plan, and it’s starting to seem like the Detroit Red Wings are willing to clear their loaded goaltending room with a Sebastian Cossa trade.

Like Jarry, Cossa played his junior hockey in the city with the Edmonton Oil Kings. He has been buried in the minors in Detroit’s system, owning a .911 save percentage and a 2.46 goals-against average over four seasons. It might be a bit of a risk to throw an unproven goaltender into the net in one of McDavid’s last two seasons under contract, but the payoff could be huge if he proves he is the future of Edmonton’s net.

Next: A New Hard-Nosed, Stanley Cup-Winning HC Linked to the Oilers