Several goaltenders linked to the Edmonton Oilers at trade deadline
Photo credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Edmonton Oilers remain at the top of the Pacific division, but goaltending continues to be a major question mark for the management and several goaltenders have been linked to the Oilers prior to the NHL trade deadline.
Is Karel Vejmelka worth trading a 3rd or a 4th for and potentially shaking up the Oilers locker room?
Both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have had good stretches of hockey but there have been some ebb and flow in the season where the goaltending has been questionable at best.
Bowman may look to strengthen the position by the deadline
There are several goaltenders that have been linked to the team and it may be in bowman's best interest to trade for one of these goalies as a form of insurance especially if there's a major injury.
Stuart Skinner once again has lost the Oilers another game. How many more times is it gonna take for the Oilers management to wake tf up and realize they need an actual 1B to play with him like Vejmelka or Gibson? Can't trust Skinner in the playoffs again, you just CANT.
They also could give the team a double barrel threat and Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch could switch to a tandem style goaltending which would not gas out Skinner.
Two goalies come to mind quickly which are Karel Vejmelka and John Gibson as the Anaheim Ducks and the Utah hockey club are likely not to make the playoffs this year.
Gibson would give the Oilers a veteran goaltender who has been looking for a change of scenery for the past couple of years and is dying to try some playoff hockey.
Vejmelka has had a great year considering the speed that this team was put together as they were the Arizona Coyotes less than a year ago.
He will be an unrestricted free agent this year and currently holds a cap hit of $2.25 million which could be retained by 50% from Utah.
Other honorable mentions are James Reimer of the Buffalo Sabres who has been on the move for the past couple of years but has not found a permanent home.
Alex Nedeljkovic could be a suitable tandem partner for Skinner as playing on a better team that is a Stanley Cup contender would certainly rebound his numbers as they currently sit at .899 in save percentage.
Quick may be the player to help the Oilers
One goaltender could be the solution the Oilers need who is Jonathan Quick of the New York Rangers.
The Rangers have not shown that they'll be able to get back in the playoffs as of yet and if they continue to fail, and general manager Chris Drury decides to sell off some of his players Quick would be a great solution to backup Skinner.
He has won several Stanley cups with the Los Angeles Kings and the Vegas Golden Knights and has had a great season considering what's happened in New York and would be a good veteran presence for Skinner.
It remains to be seen on what general manager Stan Bowman will do in the coming weeks but it's safe to say that goaltending will be on his list to explore.
If he can find a deal that makes sense and not cost the Oilers too much, a new goaltender addition would be wise to help put the team over the top.
Source: Daily Hive Sports
6 goalies the Edmonton Oilers could target in a trade
6 goalies the Edmonton Oilers could target in a trade
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 6 | 365 ANSWERS Several goaltenders linked to the Edmonton Oilers at trade deadline Who would you trade for to help the Oilers goaltending? | ||
| Karel Vejmelka | 90 | 24.7 % |
| Jonathan Quick | 111 | 30.4 % |
| John Gibson | 147 | 40.3 % |
| James Reimer | 17 | 4.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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