The Edmonton Oilers came close to winning their first Stanley Cup since 1990. However, they fell once again to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final. One of the major reasons for their loss in 2025, much like in 2024, can be attributed to inconsistent goaltending.
For the most part, Edmonton relied on Stuart Skinner to keep the puck out of the net. At times, he did just that. In fact, when he was on, he played like the absolute best goaltender in the world. Nothing could get by him, it seemed.
However, there were also times when it seemed like he couldn’t buy a save. Skinner would allow some rough goals. And far too often, the Oilers fell into a hole they couldn’t dig themselves out of.
Edmonton has not addressed its goaltending at this point in the offseason. As of now, Skinner remains the starting goaltender. Behind him is veteran journeyman Calvin Pickard, who has shown glimpses of stable play while mostly suffering some similar inconsistencies.
If the Oilers want to win the Stanley Cup, though, they need to upgrade their goaltending. And there’s an intriguing possibility out there for Edmonton. Heavy.com is proposing the following trade between the Oilers and Colorado Avalanche.
Edmonton Oilers acquire: Scott Wedgewood
Colorado Avalanche acquire: Calvin Pickard and a 2026 fourth-round pick
Scott Wedgewood Owns Solid Track Record in Goal
Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesScott Wedgewood has been a solid goaltender throughout his career.
Wedgewood has bounced around the NHL throughout his seven-year career. However, he has been rather solid anytime he’s been given a chance. This past season saw him split the year between the Avalanche and Nashville Predators. Overall, he finished with a .908 save percentage in 24 games.
This is a bit deceiving, though. Wedgewood began the season with the Predators after signing a two-year contract in NHL Free Agency. However, he lasted five games with Nashville, posting an .878 save percentage. He was then traded to Colorado, where he proceeded to put up a .917 save percentage in 19 games.
Wedgewood has never exactly been dominant in his career. But he has certainly shown to be a capable backup. He owns a career .906 save percentage, posting a save percentage of .910 or better with three different teams over the years.
There certainly are concerns over how he’d translate to the Oilers. However, Edmonton has a strong foundation on the blueline, and are overall a very good defensive team. It’s not too far-fetched to believe he’d perform well in Oil Country.
Oilers GM Seems Content With Current Tandem
A lot has been said about Edmonton and its goaltending situation. However, the only opinion that matters is that of general manager Stan Bowman. And he could very well be happy with the tandem already in place.
Following the run to the Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers general manager addressed the media. He pointed to the goaltending as a major reason his team made it as far as they did.
“In three of the four rounds, we had better goaltending than our opponent. You look at (Darcy) Kuemper, (Adin) Hill and (Jake) Oettinger, our goalies were better than theirs in each of those series. I think that’s the reason we went to the Final. And then, it flipped,” Bowman said, via EdmontonOilers.com.
He also mentioned wanting to evaluate his goaltending over the summer. Considering that a move has yet to materialize, it’s possible the Oilers are content with Skinner and Pickard as the tandem again heading into 2025-26.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Oilers Trade Idea Lands Reliable Veteran Goaltender appeared first on Heavy Sports.