The Edmonton Oilers continue to struggle even after their coaching change. As documented on NHLRumors.com, it was not just the goaltending that was an issue for this team.
Edmonton’s defense was not helping the goaltending situation. The scheme put in by Jay Woodcroft before he got fired was not working because of the personnel the team had. Not to mention it does take time to learn a new system, so we need to give Kris Knoblauch time.
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However, the Oilers continue to blow third-period leads. And even with the coaching change in their two wins, the team did not play great. The defense is an issue. So is not scoring goals, especially from their two best players Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Though both are turning it around.
But again the Edmonton Oilers are looking at their goaltending position. They need to get a save. Jack Campbell did not do it, so he is in the AHL. Who knows when he will be back? Stuart Skinner is getting tired of shouldering the load and Calvin Pickard had one game. But neither of these guys is giving the Oilers a timely save.
So again they are going to be looking at the market. And there is not much out there. The way Anaheim is playing John Gibson‘s name is not on the board. Neither is Jeremy Swayman or Linus Ullmark from Boston.
And it appears Nashville is looking to keep Juuse Saros long-term, so the big-name guys that everyone thought would move are not moving.
The fact of the matter is the Edmonton Oilers are not the only team looking for goaltending. The New Jersey Devils are still in the market for a goaltender as well. Do the Devils trust Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid to be guys to carry them to a Stanley Cup?
So if the answer is no that means the market drying up, and the price tag for the guys available will be going up as well.
So who are the options out there realistically for these teams?
Jaroslav Halak was just released from his PTO from the Carolina Hurricanes. It may cost a team some money to sign him, but the 38-year-old could help one if not both of these teams.
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As Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff writes there are about five guys out there including James Reimer, Jake Allen, Mackenzie Blackwood, Karel Vejmelka, and Carter Hart.
Jake Allen continues to be linked to the Oilers. Edmonton were scouting the Canadiens goaltenders last week. And as Avry Lewis-McDougall of the Hockey News noted on the Full Press NHL Podcast, the Oilers and Allen are a very strong possibility.
“I do think Jake Allen would be a prime target for this team. Montreal has a lot of goaltenders so I could see a move for Jake Allen to help out with Stuart Skinner. So I think that could be a tandem. But the big question is, what do you, what do you send back? And so it might be a pick, it might be a prospect, because I’m not sure what roster guy you do send Montreal’s way, but I do think that it’s a Jake Allen-Stuart Skinner tandem to end the year in Edmonton.”
With Blackwood, his numbers are good on a bad team. Does he really solve the problem and is that more of a lateral move? The Devils had him in their system and decided to move on.
Vejmelka and Hart are on teams that are in the playoff mix right now. Not sure the Oilers have what it takes to get either out of their respective clubs.
That leaves James Reimer and you have that type of goalie in the AHL with Jack Campbell. And maybe that is an option the Oilers look at again.
So the options are limited which means the prices are going up for both clubs. The simplest solution might be to play better defense.