4 goalies Edmonton Oilers could potentially pick off waiver wire
The Edmonton Oilers are set to open the new season next week, but could a last-minute goalie move be coming?
It seems like a lock that the Oilers will run back the goaltending tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard for another season. The offseason came and went with next to no movement at the goalie position, other than the addition of AHLer Matt Tomkins.
There doesn’t seem to be an appetite from Edmonton management to make a big move to shake up the crease. The Oilers are light on assets and cap space, which will make trading for a difference-maker all the more difficult.
However, there could be a cost-efficient way to bring in a new name. With teams making their final cuts, a bevy of goaltenders will be hitting the waiver wire over the next week. We’ve already seen the Utah Mammoth waive Connor Ingram last week, and more are expected.
If the Oilers want to take a flyer on a new goalie early in the season, this will be their best chance yet. Here are five players they could potentially target if they wind up on waivers:
1. Michael DiPietro, Boston Bruins
Bob DeChiara/Imagn Images
Age: 26
Cap hit: $812,500 (UFA-2027)
One of the most interesting potential waiver-wire players this year will be Michael DiPietro with the Boston Bruins.
The Bruins already have NHL veterans in Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo, meaning that the 26-year-old DiPietro is likely to hit waivers at some point before the new season.
He’s coming off an incredible AHL season that saw him post a 26-8-5 record and a sparkling .927 save percentage. It feels like he’s ready to finally take that next step to the NHL, and he could serve as an ideal platoon option with Skinner in Edmonton.
He’s among the best goalies not in the NHL at the moment.
2. Clay Stevenson, Washington Capitals
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Age: 26
Cap hit: $775,000 (UFA-2027)
Not many hockey fans recognize Clay Stevenson’s name, but the possibility of him hitting waivers is making noise around the NHL.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman alluded to teams circling Stevenson as a potential waiver claim on the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast. At 26, he’s not a young goalie, and he does have some good AHL stats to back him up, albeit he’s coming off a disappointing season last year.
Stevenson is just a year removed from a .922 SV percentage with the Hershey Bears, and it sounds like there will be suitors if he hits waivers. Could Edmonton be among them?
3. Ville Husso, Anaheim Ducks
Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images
Age: 30
Cap hit: $2.2 million (UFA-2027)
The most veteran option that could potentially hit the waiver wire is Ville Husso with the Anaheim Ducks.
He’s the oldest player on this list at 30, and it’s looking like he will be hard to make the Ducks with Lukas Dostal taking over the starter’s job and veteran Petr Mrazek likely to be the backup.
Husso was once seen as a promising young goalie, but has since fallen into an AHL role in recent years. Husso has NHL experience, but his recent performance, compared to his high cap hit, might scare off the Oilers.
4. Nico Daws, New Jersey Devils
@NJDevils/X
Age: 24
Cap hit: $812,500 (RFA-2026)
Nico Daws could be another option if he can’t crack the New Jersey Devils.
The German goaltender is battling for an NHL spot with veterans Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen. It feels unlikely that he will beat out any of those vets, meaning that a spot on the waiver wire is a real possibility.
Daws has yet to establish himself in the NHL, with only 52 games to his name, but he looked good in a six-game sample size last season. He’d be a bit of a gamble for the Oilers.