The Edmonton Oilers have been up against the cap for several years, but have still been able to find regular season and playoff success. This is in spite of below-average goaltending that absolutely needs to improve. The Oilers know it, and the league knows it.
The Oilers have a combined $3.6 million cap hit in net between Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. If they choose to call up Connor Ingram at some point this season, his cap hit in Edmonton is just $1.15 million AAV. This is very inexpensive goaltending, and nobody should be that surprised that there are struggles in net despite a top-10 team defense in front of them.
This is going to open up for the Oilers next offseason with the cap increasing and the contracts that have been signed by Connor McDavid and company. Frank Seravalli joined The Big Show to discuss and said, “They haven’t been able to do anything else cap-wise. They can’t afford better. That changes for the first time next year. They’re going to have $15 million in the summer.”
No More Excuses for Lack of Goaltending Upgrade
The fallout from team-friendly deals helps the Edmonton Oilers. Elliotte Friedman stated, “From a Western Conference executive: ‘I like that McDavid took less, but I don’t like that it will allow Edmonton to be better.’”
Stan Bowman definitely realizes his opportunity to give the Oilers better goaltending behind a well-built team, whether that comes from a trade or a free agent signing. There have been names like Ilya Sorokin and Juuse Saros floated around in the past, and Edmonton has the cap room, but getting the New York Islanders and Nashville Predators to give up on their franchise goalies is much easier said than done.
The Oilers have to be more realistic, not with the cap allotted for goaltending, but with who they can target. Goalies like Linus Ullmark, Jacob Markstrom, John Gibson, Spencer Knight, Mackenzie Blackwood, and Darcy Kuemper have all been traded over the past year and a half, while the Oilers have had Skinner and Pickard, but haven’t had the cap space to make the deal.
All of those options, which would be upgrades for Edmonton, didn’t even cost an arm and a leg. Some cost a first-round pick or a little more, and some cost much less than that.
Where Oilers Will Be Upgrading Their Roster
There is no debate that the Edmonton Oilers will be upgrading goaltending. To what extent – one goalie or two, trade or free agency, or how large a contract, remains to be seen. But all $15 million that should be available for Edmonton next offseason should be put towards new netminding.
The team arguably needs a top-6 addition, whether that holds true or not. Andrew Mangiapane was brought in and looks great, David Tomasek has fit right in, Jack Roslovic was just added, Zach Hyman hasn’t even made his season debut yet, and Matthew Savoie, as well as Isaac Howard, have entered the fray.
Someone like Alex Tuch has been linked to the Oilers as the Buffalo Sabres are winless and without much offense through three games. The Oilers have 16 players, mostly their core pieces, signed past this season. It won’t be easy for the team to make proper upgrades in net and to round out their roster, but the opportunity is there to give McDavid and company the roster to finally finish the job.
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