The Edmonton Oilers may have their future goalie in the pipeline. Unfortunately, his NHL debut may be too far in the future to make a difference for the team during the Connor McDavid era.
In his first season with the Fort Wayne Komets in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), 21-year-old netminder Samuel Jonsson has gotten off to quite the start. Through his first five games, Jonsson, a fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft, has gone 5-0 with three shutouts, posting a 1.57 goals against average and a .930 save percentage.
Jonsson got his first start of the season in Fort Wayne’s second game, Oct. 18 at Kalamazoo, and it was a bit of a bumpy ride. He allowed four third period goals, the last coming with just 1:04 remaining after the Wings pulled their goalie to tie it up, but the Komets scored with 7 seconds on the clock for a 6-5 win.
But Jonsson straightened things out quickly, posting shutouts in his next three starts. He stopped all 29 shots in a 4-0 win at Iowa on Oct. 29, then followed that up with another win at Iowa on Nov. 1, blocking all 15 efforts in a 2-0 Komets win. With those wins, Jonsson was named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week for Oct. 27-Nov. 2.
Jonsson made it three straight shutouts on Nov. 5, turning aside all 17 shots for a 5-0 Fort Wayne win at Florida. Playing at Florida again on Nov. 8, Jonsson allowed three goals on 23 shots, but he held tight in overtime and stopped all three Florida tries in the shootout as Fort Wayne won 4-3.
Edmonton Goaltender Prospect Samuel Jonsson Dominates in ECHL
While Jonsson is a newcomer to the ECHL, he is no stranger to this level of success.
Last season with BIK Karlskoga in the HockeyAllsvenskan – Sweden’s second-highest league – Jonsson was named Goalie of the Year after leading the league with six shutouts and finishing with a 1.88 goals-against average and a 17-6-0 record. But even with that resume, Jonsson’s path to the NHL is expected to be a long one, and it likely won’t intersect with the Oilers’ immediate championship window.
McDavid’s new two-year, $25 million extension is widely viewed as the team’s last real chance to win a Stanley Cup during this era, and goaltending has been the issue holding Edmonton back in each of the past two seasons. If that problem isn’t fixed before McDavid’s deal expires, the Oilers risk watching their franchise cornerstone look elsewhere for a better shot at a title.
That urgency only sharpens the focus on what the Oilers already have in the crease – and what they don’t.
Samuel Jonsson Represents Hope for Future, but Oilers Need Answers Now
Stuart Skinner has shown stretches of steadiness, even flashes of the long-term starter Edmonton once hoped he’d become, but the word that keeps coming up around the league is “inconsistency.” When he’s on, the Oilers look like a team that can finally muscle its way through a seven-game playoff gauntlet. When he isn’t, they look like a group skating on the edge of a trapdoor.
Those dips haven’t gone unnoticed. The past two postseasons left a mark on the fan base and, more importantly, on Edmonton’s front office.
For every strong run Skinner has delivered, there’s been a counterpunch – the untimely goal, the shaky rebound, the moment where the entire season wobbles on one shot. That’s a dangerous identity for a team built around McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, especially when the core pieces everywhere else appear capable of winning now.
All of which brings GM Stan Bowman into the spotlight. He inherited a roster that can score with anyone, defend well enough to win, and push play territorially, but only if the crease holds.
Bowman has preached patience publicly, pointing to the team’s need for more defensive cohesion rather than simply pinning the issues on Skinner. But patience has a short shelf life when a franchise knows its contention window has just two, maybe three springs remaining.
Privately, league insiders suggest Bowman is at least exploring options. Not aggressively shopping Skinner, but also not closing the door on a move if the right upgrade materializes. The challenge is that true No. 1 goaltenders rarely shake loose midseason, and when they do, the bidding is fierce and the price sharp. Edmonton’s cap situation only tightens the constraints.
Meanwhile, the pressure builds. The Oilers can’t afford another postseason defined by “almost.” They can’t ask McDavid to drag them through another uphill series while wondering if the next shot against might be the backbreaker. And they can’t assume Jonsson will be ready anytime soon to answer the bell.
That leaves Skinner with the crease, the responsibility, and the burden. It’s his net to steady and his narrative to reclaim.
Jonsson may very well be part of the Oilers’ long-term solution. But the team’s present is far less patient, driven by a superstar’s narrowing timeline and a fan base that’s seen this story stall too many times. Edmonton doesn’t need the goalie of tomorrow. They need the goalie of right now – and until someone claims that role with authority, this era will remain defined not by the Cup they chased, but by the one that keeps slipping just out of reach.
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