Four goalie targets for Edmonton Oilers after insider confirms change is coming

Oilers insider Bob Stauffer reported a goalie addition is a guarantee in the offseason, which prompts the question of why would they wait, but an addition will come.

The easiest way the Oilers could add to their goaltending would be replacing Calvin Pickard with a goalie to form an even tandem with Stuart Skinner. The easiest method of doing so is through free agency.

There aren't any star goaltenders in the free agent class this year, so the good news is any addition will be relatively cheap - but will come with some risk.

The Oilers best options in free agency will be Alex Lyon, Frederik Andersen, and Ilya Samsonov.

Alex Lyon is the goaltender having the best year out of the group. In 26 games on a relatively poor Red Wings team, Lyon has posted a solid .901 save percentage, and ranks 29th in the NHL on Goals Saved Above Expected according to MoneyPuck.

Most importantly, he's been much better than Pickard over the last 3 seasons, and won't cost much in free agency.

Ilya Samsonov is having a rough year on the Vegas Golden Knights looking at his surface stats, but he may best fit the bill for a reclamation project with a cheap price tag. Samsonov has a poor .892 save percentage, but ranks 40th in the NHL with a barely positive GSAx.

Samsonov could come at a cheap salary, is only 28 years old, and put up a .919 save percentage just 2 years ago. There could be a bounce back candidate there, and he may even see a decrease on his current $1.8M salary.

Finally, the last free agent option is the best goaltender, but the riskiest with his health. 35 year old Frederik Andersen has put up fantastic results in the 16 games he's played, but he's missed most of the last two seasons with injury - and has a concerning injury history. The Oilers could perhaps take a chance on him, but his health is a serious question.

Of course, the Oilers will have plenty more options to explore in the offseason when more goalies become available for trade.

It's impossible to predict what goalies could potentially move, but one to keep an eye on may be Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin. New York is clearly trending down, and if they decide to sell off pieces, Sorokin is a star level goalie signed long term to a $8.25M deal.

Addressing the goaltending in the offseason is a longtime issue finally being solved, and it's great they are finally moving on it - but an addition should have happened sooner.