Thanksgiving Weekend and the Oilers’ Wild-Card Pursuit
As the Thanksgiving weekend approaches in the U.S., the Edmonton Oilers find themselves just two points shy of clinching a coveted wild-card spot in the Western Conference. This precarious position has sparked speculation in the sports media regarding their potential pursuit of a new goaltender to bolster their roster.
Potential Goaltender Acquisitions
Prominent hockey analyst Nick Kypreos from Sportsnet has reported that the Oilers may be particularly interested in acquiring Jordan Binnington from the St. Louis Blues. Furthermore, Kevin Weekes from ESPN suggests that Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins is also catching the attention of Oilers management as they explore goaltending options.
The underwhelming performance of current netminders Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard has kept the Oilers at the center of many trade discussions since the start of the season. Some have even mentioned that the team might consider waiting for the Florida Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky when he becomes a free agent next summer. However, given Bobrovsky’s likelihood of re-signing with the Panthers, such a long-term plan does not address the Oilers’ immediate needs.
Challenges in Acquiring New Goaltenders
Another name that’s come up is Juuse Saros from the Nashville Predators, although this idea hinges on him consenting to waive his no-movement clause, in addition to fitting within the Oilers’ salary cap constraints, given Saros’ hefty $7.74 million annual salary.
Kypreos assesses that acquiring Binnington is improbable for the Oilers, as he still has a year remaining on his contract. For Jarry, there are three seasons left on his agreement, and he currently shares goaltending responsibilities with Arturs Silovs at the Penguins, while promising prospects Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist are developing in the AHL.
From Edmonton Journal’s David Staples, we learn that Binnington commands a $6 million cap hit, compared to Skinner’s $2.6 million, which makes a trade involve significant concessions to get the Blues to bear part of Binnington’s salary. Meanwhile, Oilers insider Bob Stauffer has indicated that pursuing Jarry might be a more feasible option, even as he acknowledges the challenge represented by Jarry’s $5.375 million cap charge.
Conclusion
Acquiring either Binnington or Jarry seems a complex endeavor, especially given that they would need to negotiate salary retention from their respective teams—this might cost the Oilers some of their few promising young assets, as well as their 2027 first-round draft pick, since they traded away their 2024 pick already.
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