Oilers’ Goalie: No team in the NHL is as desperate for goaltending as the Edmonton Oilers, despite how Calvin Pickard played against the Tampa Bay Lightning in their previous game that should have been a win. The Oilers have two goalies, Pickard and Stuart Skinner, who they can’t trust and something has to be done to fix that quickly, as the team isn’t holding a playoff spot at the moment and it feels different than the last two seasons.
Darren Dreger said, “I can’t imagine (Stan) Bowman isn’t making calls. Buffalo’s carrying 3 guys, Boston has depth in that position. Oilers’ Goalie not playing in the NHL that could be considered an upgrade. You’ve got the Connor Ingram experiment.”
The two Oilers’ goalie have a combined .871 SV%, which is losing the team games. In terms of Ingram, the Oilers likely wish he were performing better in the AHL right now, or he’d probably be up with the team already. He has some catching up to do as he has an .871 SV% himself in seven games, albeit in a different league.
The Buffalo Sabres have to be the most obvious answer, for at least the short-term, in net. They are carrying three goalies on the roster with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis, but also have Devon Levi and Alexandar Georgiev in the AHL. Oilers’ Goalie The best option right now would be Lyon, but Levi could be a longer-term solution if he pans out. That is a risk, but better than what the Oilers have to work with right now anyway.
As for the Boston Bruins, the goalie that makes the most sense is Michael DiPietro, who the Oilers actually had a chance to grab at the start of the season when he hit waivers. After a missed opportunity there, Edmonton should turn to that option, who is 7-1-0 with a 1.99 GAA and .936 SV% in the AHL. He’s 26 years old and has had multiple very strong seasons in the AHL, but Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo are in his way of coming into the NHL and contributing. It won’t be free to acquire him like it was, but still worth a try.
The Oilers have to attempt anything to get better in net at this point. It cannot be a wasted year because goaltending wasn’t addressed when every other team can address their goalie issues.
