Surprising Starting goaltender reportedly available for trade

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Ryan Hall
December 18, 2023 (10:24)

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It's always in the best interest for a general manager of an NHL franchise to continuously look for ways to upgrade their team as injuries or disappointment begins to creep into the lineup.

The Oilers have certainly had their share of disappointment early on this season especially in their goaltending department with Jack Campbell falling flat on his face and sent to Bakersfield.

Recently, another goalie has now emerged as a potential candidate to be traded for as Arizona has decided to put Karel Vejmelka up for sale.

He was a Nashville Predator choice in the 2015 Entry Draft, in the fifth round 145th overall. Standing at six foot four 224 lbs he is a big body that covers a lot of the net and has shown in the NHL that he can be a starting goaltender.

Being on the Coyotes has not helped his numbers as he is only played twelve games this year, winning two games and having a goals against average of 3.50 and a save percentage of .892. He currently holds a 2.725 million cap hit for till 2024-25.

These numbers are deceiving as the Coyotes have been awful for many seasons. With an improved defense and the firepower of the Oilers offense, Vejmelka could see a rapid improvement in his numbers.

As the Oilers seek goaltending help, and the Coyotes continue to stockpile draft picks and prospects it's certainly possible both teams could be trading partners where the Oilers could offer a player like Xavier Bourgault and a draft pick for Vejmelka as a possible deal