The Edmonton Oilers have a big question mark at goalie and are expected to sign a veteran goalie in free agency.
The Oilers have lost in the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back seasons. However, the big problem for the team has been goaltending, as Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have both been inconsistent.
After losing in the Finals for the second-straight year, Edmonton has been linked to adding a goalie this offseason. Ahead of free agency opening on July 1, theScore’s Josh Wegman predicts the Oilers will sign veteran goalie Jake Allen to a two-year deal worth $4 million per season.
“Allen should be highly coveted in a weak UFA goalie class. He’s not the high-end starter the Oilers need, but he’s still a serviceable tandem option,” Wegman wrote. “Edmonton wants Stuart Skinner to be ‘the guy,’ but Allen would be a nice security blanket and a major upgrade over Calvin Pickard if things go south with Skinner in the playoffs once again.”
Allen was the backup goalie for the New Jersey Devils last season. He would likely replace Pickard and form a tandem with Skinner, and add a veteran behind the young goalie.
Allen completed his two-year, $7.7 million deal and will likely sign something similar to that in free agency. The 34-year-old went 13-16-1 with a 2.66 GAA and a .908 SV%. In his NHL career, he’s appeared in 460 games with a 2.76 GAA and a .908 SV%.
Oilers GM Evaluating Goalie Position
Despite Edmonton being one of the best teams in the NHL as of late, the Oilers have gotten poor goaltending.
Ahead of free agency, Oilers’ general manager Stan Bowman says the team is evaluating the position and if there is an upgrade they will do it.
“Well, the evaluation isn’t something you do just once or twice and then it’s over with. When I say that, it’s not just looking at the goaltending we have, but also what’s out there and options,” Bowman said on June 28. “So it’s going to be a process that we’re going to go through. I don’t think we’re going to come to one decision tomorrow or the next day. It’s really about taking in the information, and eventually, we’re going to settle on the thing that we think makes the most sense…
“Part of the evaluation is the guys that we have, and if it makes the most sense to keep this group, that’s certainly a possibility,” Bowman said. “So I don’t know. We’re not at the point where we’re saying we’re definitely bringing in new goalies.”
Currently, Skinner is under contract for one more season at $2.6 million. Pickard, meanwhile, has one year left on his deal and is set to earn $1 million next season.
Allen is the Top-Ranked Free Agent Goalie
Ahead of free agency opening on July 1, the goalie market is rather thin.
There is no true starting goalie available, but rather goalies that can help form a 1A, 1B tandem. The top-ranked goalie in free agency is Allen, according to DailyFaceoff, who ranks the veteran as the 12th-ranked free agent.
Allen has been a starting goalie in the past, but over the last few years, he has mostly been a backup. But, in 2016-17, he started 61 games and started 41+ games in four straight years from 2016 until 2019.
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