For the second straight season, The Edmonton Oilers have started slowly. They are sitting at a 0-3-0 record through their first three games, have struggled to find much offensive production, and have had iffy goaltending to start the campaign. While Oilers fans are drawing comparisons to last season and hoping it’ll be another slow start followed by domination which led to a strong postseason, it’s always worrisome when your team can’t get going right away.
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While there have been some positives with newcomers Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson both looking solid, it seems as though a change between the pipes could be warranted. Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have proven themselves to be trustworthy, but their slow start could force the Oilers to gauge the trade market and look for a new goalie. In this article, let’s take a look at three goaltenders the Oilers could realistically acquire.
John Gibson – Anaheim Ducks
John Gibson has been involved in trade rumours for several seasons and continues to be connected to teams looking for goaltending depth. While the Oilers would have to wait until the 2025 Trade Deadline to make a deal work for him, Gibson is one goalie they should consider acquiring. His $6.4 million cap hit is steep, but bringing him in to stabilize the depth between the pipes could be a solid idea. Throughout his career, he has posted a 2.90 goals-against-average (GAA) and a .910 save percentage (SV%) through 477 games notching 193 wins and 24 shutouts.
His lack of wins could concern Oilers fans, but he has been playing in front of a much weaker defensive team in the Anaheim Ducks throughout his career. While the Oilers have been criticized for their lack of defensive depth in the past, they still have a stronger blue line than the Ducks. As of right now, the Oilers could have $4.8 million in deadline cap space, meaning they’d still have to move $1.6 million out to bring Gibson in, but that shouldn’t be difficult to figure out.
Filip Gustavsson – Minnesota Wild
The second goaltender the Oilers could look into acquiring is Minnesota Wild’s Filip Gustavsson. With Jesper Wallstedt trying to push through and become a full-time member of the Wild’s NHL roster, it pushes Gustavsson down the depth chart. With a $3.75 million cap hit, the Oilers could fit him into their roster without having to move money out, making him a more attractive option. He has posted a 1.99 GAA and a .941 SV% through two games this season.
Throughout his career, he has played 113 games posting a 2.71 GAA and a .913 SV% winning 53 games and adding six shutouts. At just 26 years old, Gustavsson is just entering the prime of his career and could be the ideal candidate for the Oilers to look into acquiring. With an overabundance of goaltenders between the pipes, the Wild may also let him go for less in a trade, but it could still cost a mid-round draft pick and a prospect to bring him in.
Arturs Silovs or Kevin Lankinen – Vancouver Canucks
The final goaltender the Oilers could look at is one of Arturs Silovs or Kevin Lankinen from the Vancouver Canucks. With Thatcher Demko proving to be their solidified starting goaltender, one of them could find themselves being traded once he is healthy again. While both of them are solid between the pipes, one of them will have to be sent to the American Hockey League (AHL) once Demko is back. Lankinen is on a one-year deal worth $875,000 while Silovs is on a two-year deal with an $850,000 cap hit. Both of them are extremely affordable and could be acquired now by the Oilers if they deemed necessary.
Lankinen played one game this season posting a 1.85 GAA and a .935 SV%. Throughout his career, he has played 113 games posting a 3.06 GAA and a .905SV%, winning 45, and adding three shutouts. Silovs has gotten out to a slow start this season and doesn’t have much of an NHL resume, however, his impressive playoff performance with the Canucks last season makes him an enticing asset. Through 10 playoff games, he posted a .898 SV% with a 2.91 GAA. While Silovs is younger and is likely someone the Canucks will want to hang onto, they may consider moving him for the right price. Lankinen is the likelier option of the two, and he is a proven goaltender who may only cost the Oilers a draft pick to bring in.
While the Oilers haven’t hit the panic button just yet, they have to be considering making a move to improve their goaltending. It has not been solid to start the campaign, which is an eerily similar statement to last season, and it could hurt them if they don’t fix it soon. The goaltenders mentioned above could all be solid acquisitions, but time will tell if they choose to ride it out with Skinner and Pickard, or if they decide to spend assets on someone new.
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