Edmonton Oilers’ Goaltending Concerns
The Edmonton Oilers are facing mounting pressure to enhance their goaltending situation, especially after suffering a demoralizing 9-1 home loss to the Colorado Avalanche last Saturday. This has led to speculation surrounding the possibility of a trade, with many advocating for general manager Stan Bowman to explore options in the market.
While starting goalie Stuart Skinner managed to bounce back with two consecutive victories against teams like the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers, the clamor for a replacement continues unabated. A prominent name that has surfaced as a potential target is Juuse Saros, currently with the Nashville Predators. The 30-year-old goalkeeper is on an eight-year contract worth an average of $7.74 million, which includes a full no-movement clause. This raises the question: would he consider waiving that clause to join a competing team?
“Jeff Marek from Daily Faceoff first mentioned Saros as a trade candidate for the Oilers on November 6, and just a few days later, Allan Mitchell from The Athletic discussed the obstacles the Oilers face in securing the Predators’ goalie.”
Mitchell highlighted the team’s financial constraints concerning salary cap space and the limited assets available for trade. Mark Spector from Sportsnet echoed those sentiments, recognizing the challenges while also pointing out that Saros’ performance might not necessarily outweigh Skinner’s. In fact, Frank Seravalli of Bleacher Report raised doubts about Saros’ overall size and postseason capabilities.
To navigate this, Mitchell proposed that the Oilers would likely need to offload two players and have the Predators absorb part of Saros’ salary to facilitate a deal. He argued that targeting a replacement for backup goalie Calvin Pickard might be a more sensible and economically viable strategy. As it stands, indications suggest that the Predators are not considering trading Saros anytime soon, so a move seems unlikely in the immediate future.
Pittsburgh Penguins’ Trade Dynamics
Switching gears to the Pittsburgh Penguins, their unexpectedly strong start to the season has led analysts to reevaluate potential trade strategies. Defenseman Erik Karlsson, along with forwards Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust, were subjects of trade discussions throughout the offseason and during training camp but have since dropped off the radar as speculation settles.
Longtime stars, including Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, briefly stirred trade conversations at the beginning of the season, but those discussions have largely subsided as well. Josh Yohe from The Athletic suggests that the in-season performance of the Penguins will keep Karlsson, Rakell, and Rust firmly in Pittsburgh as long as the team remains competitive for the playoffs. He posits that GM Kyle Dubas is unlikely to disrupt a playoff opportunity for Crosby this season with desperate trade moves.
Furthermore, if the Penguins continue to contend for a playoff spot, Yohe believes Dubas will avoid making significant moves at the March 6 trade deadline to preserve the team’s future.
