Fans and sports media alike have been looking for a scapegoat ever since the Edmonton Oilers were bounced from the Stanley Cup Final yet again; the stars didn’t show up, coaching failed them, depth was abysmal, defence was weak, and everything in between. Among the many areas blame was cast: goaltending, and after many conversations throughout the fan base and sports media about what the Oilers should do in net this season, it may be time to look at their options after another year coming up short.
Related: Oilers’ Stuart Skinner Deserves a Fresh Start on Another Team
Everyone has a different opinion on a topic that is very delicate among Oilers fans. The team could be a top goalie away from a Cup, but a smaller move could also be effective. There are a lot of moving parts for this team and a lot to address this offseason. Here are a few options to consider in net for Edmonton next season.
Run It Back
This won’t be a popular suggestion for most Oilers fans, but bear with me. The free agent market for goalies isn’t as fruitful as other years, offer sheets are no one’s forte, and decent trades are hard to come by for goaltenders. So why not start the 2025-26 campaign with the tandem that took you to back-to-back Cup Finals and go from there?
Despite what the stats may look like on the surface, Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner have been able to win for this team. They have worked together to win the Western Conference in two straight seasons and have come within spitting distance of a Stanley Cup. At the very least, they can get this team where it needs to be around the trade deadline next season when they have a decision to make.
The Oilers could simply run this duo for another season, see where they are at, and then make a mid-season move if they have to. Of course, that comes with many risks, but who knows what can get done in another short offseason?
Play the Field
While going out and finding a goalie is never easy or fun for management, it’s not impossible. The right deal just has to be struck. The Oilers’ first option(s) would be to look at free agents, both restricted and unrestricted. This market doesn’t present a Sergei Bobrovsky or Connor Hellebuyck-type pickup, but it does have options that could aid and potentially improve the Oilers’ crease.
One suggestion has been some “revenge on St. Louis” where the Oilers make a play for Blues’ backup Joel Hofer. He has had very solid stats the past two seasons and would be a great complement to whichever goalie the Oilers choose to keep (if they keep one). Another similar option would be a guy like Lukáš Dostál, who is also a restricted free agent (RFA) for the Anaheim Ducks this offseason. He posted a .903 save percentage for a struggling Ducks team, and although they will likely spend a lot to retain him, the Oilers should be willing to spend more to bring in a solid goaltender.
Another (much tougher) way of playing the field is acquiring someone via trade. The Oilers have been linked to top goalies such as Jeremy Swayman before, but finding the right assets to dole out for a stud like that would be extremely hard to do. Swayman’s steep $8.25 million cap hit is a large obstacle as well. But at the same time, management should be willing to make a big swing like that at a time where they are trying to retain stars such as Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard long-term.
Olivier Rodrigue
The often-forgotten but very valuable youngster waiting in Bakersfield is always an option to succeed the goaltending throne at any time. Olivier Rodrigue has seen just two games of NHL action, both coming towards the end of this past regular season when the team was having some injury troubles. Don’t let his skewed NHL stats deter you; he has been a very reliable and solid netminder up to this point for every team he has played for.
It could be time to give the kid a shot. Starting him as the backup and morphing him into the starter they are hoping he can be is a possible strategy. Many will think it’s too early or just the wrong time, and they could be right, but he is always an option waiting in the wings if things go wrong.
Options Laid Out: Which Is the Best Route?
So, all options on the table, where does the team go from here? Oilers’ general manager Stan Bowman indicated at his year-end press conference that offseason changes would be focused on forwards and goaltending. This is a good sign, but now it’s time for action.
Looking at it from the outside, I think you have to play the field as best you can; put in calls for guys of Swayman-caliber and see what it would take, throw an offer sheet to whoever you think is the best fit in Edmonton, and then also look at the unrestricted free agents and see if there is anything worth taking there. As much as Pickard and Skinner have done for Edmonton, they badly need a new number one or, at the bare minimum, a solid goalie who can play in a tandem role with one of them. The window of contention slowly shrinks with every season that passes, and there is no time to second-guess things or save feelings. It’s time for action.
Change needs to be made in net, and it sounds like it will happen. Only time will tell what that looks like in Oil Country.
