Edmonton Oilers Seek Out Goaltender Help With Three Potential Options
The Edmonton Oilers may be looking for goaltender help as the team is mired in another slow start to their season with three goalies who could help strengthen their tandem.
The goaltender debate was reignited after the team has gone 0-3 early on in their new season. While offence has been a struggle for this group, goaltending has also creeped into the conversation as the team has been outscored 15-3 and has seen Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner chased from the net once.
Even though most teams do not make trades this early on in their season, there are a few goaltenders that are available and who could be retained by the Oilers to help their cause.
It's been clear that John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks has been looking for a change of scenery for the past couple of years. He would bring stability to their net along with strong experience as he has played 477 games and winning 193 games including 24 shutouts. His cap hit at $6.4 million for this season is viewed as quite high but with the Anaheim Ducks amid a rebuild, it's likely they would be willing to retain salary to make a deal work.
The Oilers rival Vancouver Canucks have several goaltenders in their ranks to which either Kevin Lankinen or Arturs Silovs could be made available as question marks continued to circulate around the Canucks and their starting goaltender Thatcher Demko.
If Demko can remain healthy, one of these goaltenders will be made available as they both hold under $900,000 cap hits and likely one will head to the American Hockey League. Lankinen has shown to be a solid option as he has played one game this year with the goals against of 1.85 and a save percentage of .935 along with 113 games played in the NHL and winning 45 contests.
Lastly, the Minnesota Wild may have a goaltender available who could also help the Oilers which is Filip Gustavsson. The landscape has changed for the Wild as Jesper Wallstedt has been working hard to try to become a full time NHL player and Troy Grosenick on their AHL Iowa Wild and still have veteran Marc Andre Fleury, there could be a market for a deal as he holds a $3.75 million cap hit and the Oilers would not have to lose a roster player.
The team will be facing off against the Philadelphia Flyers to closeout their homestand and it will be a golden opportunity for the goaltending to find their legs and change the Oilers fortunes with a win. It remains to be seen on whether this will happen but a game may need to be stolen to help snap the team out of it's malaise.
| POLL | ||
Who would you trade for to help the Oilers goaltending trouble? | ||
| John Gibson | 71 | 33 % |
| Filip Gustavsson | 50 | 23.3 % |
| Kevin Lankinen | 26 | 12.1 % |
| No one, Skinner will be back in form soon | 68 | 31.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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