The Edmonton Oilers missed out on a potential starting goaltender after the Vancouver Canucks traded Arturs Silovs to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday.
Edmonton has been searching for a goaltender this offseason to take over from Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard following another disappointing end to the Oilers’ postseason. Silovs could have filled that void despite being relatively inexperienced.
Silovs was the Calder Cup MVP this past season. In 24 AHL postseason games, Silovs posted a 2.01 GAA and a .931 SV%. The numbers earned him MVP honors.
For the Oilers, it must be disappointing to see another potential starting goaltender slip their fingers. The club has been looking for a solution in the crease this offseason with little luck. Edmonton had been rumored to be the favorite to land John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks.
Instead, the Ducks traded Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings. That left the Oilers out of options as they looked to land a bona fide number-one netminder. While Silovs isn’t precisely a proven number-one goalie, at least not yet, the Oilers missed out on an opportunity to at least upgrade their backup.
The Penguins sent depth player Chase Stillman and a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft for Silovs. The underwhelming return adds insult to injury, as the Oilers could have easily overmatched that price.
Oilers Still Searching for a Solution in Goal
The biggest storyline heading into the offseason for the Oilers, other than Connor McDavid’s contract extension, is the team’s search for a starting goaltender.
The brunt of the blame for the Oilers’ disappointing loss to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup fell on goalies Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. While both played well at times during the Oilers’ postseason run, neither carried the team.
As such, the narrative has been that the Oilers needed to change things in the crease. Both Skinner and Pickard are entering the final year of their respective deals. So, even if the Oilers wanted to hold on to both goalies this season, the team will need to figure something out for next year and beyond.
Remaining Free-Agent Options Not Encouraging for Edmonton
The remaining crop of free-agent goaltenders isn’t particularly encouraging for the Edmonton Oilers.
The biggest available name at the moment is Alexandar Georgiev. The Russian netminder is coming off an atrocious season split between the Colorado Avalanche and the San Jose Sharks. Georgiev could be a serviceable backup, but hardly the starting goalie the Oilers seek.
Ilya Samsonov, another Russian goalie, is available this summer. He is coming off a decent season with the Vegas Golden Knights. Like Georgiev, Samsonov could be a solid backup to a solid starting goalie.
Lastly, veteran James Reimer could provide a solid alternative to either Pickard or Skinner, but won’t likely carry the team throughout the entire season.
Given the circumstances, the Oilers will be forced to roll with Skinner and Pickard for one more season unless an opportunity opens up from now till the start of training camp this fall. Otherwise, the Oilers will have to keep their eyes and ears open for a potential goalie available during the season.
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