There is no secret that the Edmonton Oilers need to make a change between the pipes. The reigning two-time Western Conference champions have struggled, particularly without the puck, to start the 2025-26 season. In fact, the Oilers have allowed the most goals and have the worst combined save rate (.860%) in the NHL.
The dire situation came to a head on November 25 when Edmonton allowed eight goals against the Dallas Stars. Head coach Kris Knoblauch pulled Stuart Skinner after the typical starter allowed four goals on eight shots. Backup Calvin Pickard, however, did not fare much better, as he also saw four goals go by him during the remainder of the game.
Superstar forward Connor McDavid defended the tandem following the demoralizing defeat on the night. Nevertheless, Edmonton brass is expected to make a move to improve the goaltending situation in the coming weeks. Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos is now reporting that the Oilers are expected to target St. Louis Blues star Jordan Binnington.
“The strongest speculation ties Binnington to Edmonton, and that the Oilers are also seeing if they can get a defenseman out of St. Louis at the same time,” claimed Kypreos. “That potential deal would most likely be built around Stuart Skinner going back to St. Louis to team up with Hofer.”
Edmonton Oilers will Likely Have to Overpay to Fix Goalie Problems
GettyJordan Binnington has struggled so far this season with the St. Louis Blues.
Edmonton’s interest in Binnington is nothing new. TSN’s Darren Dreger also reports that the Oilers have been linked with a potential move for the Canadian goalie for quite some time. “There’s history in the Oilers’ interest in Jordan Binnington,” Dreger claimed on OverDrive. “Whether or not (Edmonton’s GM) Stan Bowman wants to revisit that, we’ll see.”
Dreger went on to assert that any team looking to make a major trade at the moment is likely going to have to overpay. This comes down to the fact that most NHL teams still believe that they are in the chase for a playoff spot. This, however, may not exactly pertain to St. Louis.
It was revealed in early November that the Blues have made it clear to teams that they are open for business. St. Louis currently sits seventh in the Central Division and is likely headed towards a rebuild. Outside of Binnington, Jordan Kyrou and captain Brayden Schenn have also been linked with a move away from the team.
Oilers Must Make a Move or Risk Missing the Playoffs
Binnington has historically been seen as one of the top goaltenders in the NHL. After all, he helped the Blues win the 2019 Stanley Cup by featuring in all 26 playoff games for the team. The netminder also collected the 4 Nations Face-Off title with Canada in February.
The Blues previously rewarded Binnington for his stellar play by giving him a six-year, $36 million contract in 2021. The $6 million AAV makes the Canadian the seventh-highest-paid goalie in the league. Binnington is under contract through the 2026-27 season.
While he has had a solid career, Binnington’s current stats are fairly disappointing. For instance, his save rate of .880% and 3.13 GAA are only barely better than Skinner’s stats. Oilers brass, however, may hope that Binnington would improve playing for a better team. Edmonton surely cannot continue with its two netminders holding down the fort. The team would not even make the playoffs if the season ended on November 26.
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