Coming off a disappointing season last year where the Oilers lost four straight in the first round, changes were expected in Oil Country to fix some glaring issues. Picking up important pieces like Zach Hyman, Warren Foegele, Duncan Keith, Cody Ceci, and Derek Ryan, the Oilers are off to a blazing hot start this season with a 9-2-0 record. While Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith have looked good between the pipes so far, both goaltenders will have question marks heading into the postseason and long term future. In this article, we will look at potential goaltending options that Edmonton could add to the roster to potentially make them cup favorites.
Marc-Andre Fleury-Chicago Blackhawks
After being acquired this offseason from Vegas for next-to-none, Fleury’s tenure in Chicago has gotten off to a rocky start with a 2-7 record and a 3.81 GAA. With his contract expiring at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, Chicago could look to sell off Fleury as they potentially look towards a rebuild. Edmonton would be a perfect spot for the 2021 Vezina Trophy winner with how well the team has played so far. Along with offseason addition Duncan Keith, Fleury would bring tons of cup winning leadership to this team and a consistent level of excellence between the pipes every single night. Although he carries a $7 million cap hit, Edmonton could work out a deal where Chicago retains some money or takes back goaltender Mikko Koskinen. This would give Edmonton a true number one goalie for the first time since Cam Talbot and potentially push them a round or two further in the playoffs.
Ben Bishop-Dallas Stars
The oft-injured starting goaltender for the Dallas Stars would be an intriguing option for Edmonton to look into as a potential longer term option in net. With one more year left at 4.9 million, Bishop comes at a very good value for the level of play he has shown in his few years in Dallas. Never posting a lower SV% than .916 in Dallas, there’s reason to believe that Bishop will be able to return to his former self once back on the ice and be a rock in net for the next two years. As Dallas currently has a logjam in the crease with four potential starters in Khudobin, Oettinger, Holtby, and Bishop, it is almost a guarantee that one of those four goaltenders will be moved once Bishop is deemed ready to play. Trading Bishop to Edmonton will only help clear up the situation in Dallas while also being able to recuperate some assets in return. Assuming he returns to his former self, Bishop definitely has the ability to steal a round or two for Edmonton and be the reason for a deep playoff run in Northern Alberta.
Semyon varlamov-New York Islanders
Signing with the New York Islanders in the 2019 offseason, Semyon Varlamov has looked incredible coming off a vezina trophy level performance last season with a 2.04 GAA and .929% SV%. However after sustaining an injury to start the 2021-22 season, Varlamov has looked to take a backseat to young star, Ilya Sorokin. While New York could run a 50-50 split to finish the season, Sorokin looks ready to take the reins as the number one goaltender on the Island. If New York decides that Sorokin is ready to be their full time number one, Varlamov could draw significant trade interest from many teams that are hungry in the goalie market. Edmonton would be a logical fit for the veteran netminder and give him an opportunity to be a number one goaltender on a Stanley Cup contender. With one more year remaining on his deal at a cap hit of $5 million, this is a very reasonable contract to bring in and give Edmonton a very quality starting netminder to pair with Mike Smith or Mikko Koskinen heading into the playoffs.
John Gibson-Anaheim Ducks
While a long shot to be moved, John Gibson would be an incredible addition for Edmonton to acquire short term and long term. As seen as one of the premier goaltenders in the NHL, Edmonton would not have to worry about their goaltending situation for at least the next five years at a very reasonable $6.4 million cap hit. Even though he is seen as Anaheim’s backbone right now, Gibson’s timeline may not exactly fit well with the team as they may not be ready to compete for another year or two. Acquiring a boatload of assets for his services may be in the best interests of Anaheim and give Gibson a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup for the prime of his career. While he won’t be cheap to acquire, if Edmonton is willing to throw a huge offer to Anaheim and land Gibson, this could lead to a Stanley Cup in the very near future and potentially a dynasty with all the superstar talent up front.
Final Thoughts
With Edmonton looking like a cup contender early in the season, a goaltender may be the biggest missing piece towards a long playoff run in Oil country. All four of these goaltenders would provide Edmonton with a true number one goaltender and potential backbone in the playoffs. While Edmonton will likely acquire a goaltender by the trade deadline this season, it remains to be seen how big of an addition Ken Holland is thinking of.