5 free agent goalies Edmonton Oilers could sign this summer
It’s heartbreak once again for the Edmonton Oilers, but there will be no time to dwell on yet another Stanley Cup Final loss.
The offseason is already in full tilt, with the NHL Draft commencing next week and free agency hitting in less than two weeks. Oilers GM Stan Bowman will be hard at work making sure his team has the best chance possible at making yet another run at the Stanley Cup.
He will be looking to improve multiple areas of this Oilers’ roster, none more important than the goaltending. Stuart Skinner is likely to be back with the team next season, but the time has come to find him a more suitable running mate.
With all due respect to Calvin Pickard, who served as a great backup this past season, he isn’t quite the calibre of goaltender you’d want for a Stanley Cup contending team. The easiest way to shake things up between the pipes is signing a free agent goalie, of which there are a few set to hit the open market.
Here are five names that the Oilers could potentially explore once July 1 hits.
1. Jake Allen, New Jersey Devils
Age: 34
2024-25 stats: 13-16-1, .908 SV%, +18.4 GSAx
Previous cap hit: $3.85 million
The best free agent goalie set to be available this summer is Jake Allen, who spent last season with the New Jersey Devils.
His statline is a bit deceiving as he held a losing record through the 31 regular-season games he played, but the underlying numbers paint a different story. He ranked ninth among NHL goalies in GSAx (according to MoneyPuck.com) and held a respectable save percentage as well.
To compare, Skinner finished 65th in GSAx while Pickard was 93rd.
Allen isn’t a glamorous choice, but he could be a steady veteran option who can split starts with Skinner during the season and potentially be your starter in the playoffs if need be. He’s on the older side at 34, so the risk of age regression is very real.
2. Ilya Samsonov, Vegas Golden Knights
Age: 28
2024-25 stats: 16-9-4, .891 SV%, +0.6 GSAx
Previous cap hit:Ā $1.8 million
One of the more interesting names on the FA market is Ilya Samsonov, who is just a year removed from being an NHL starting goalie.
The 28-year-old Russian netminder is just two years removed from a sparkling 2022-23 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs that saw him put up a 27-10-5 record and a .919 SV%. However, since then, he has failed to get back up above .900 and was relegated to a backup role with the Vegas Golden Knights last season.
Samsonov has shown that he has what it takes to be a good goalie in this league, and he could be a buy-low bounce-back candidate for the Oilers.
3. Alex Lyon, Detroit Red Wings
Age: 32
2024-25 stats:Ā 14-9-1, .896 SV%, +2.4 GSAx
Previous cap hit:Ā $900,000
A potential cheap free agent candidate is Alex Lyon, who is coming off a few impressive seasons but has yet to cash in on anything substantive.
The 32-year-old has been as consistent as can be with the Detroit Red Wings over the past two seasons, posting a .904 SV% in 2023-24 and a .896 SV% in 2024-25. His GSAx isn’t fantastic, but it also isn’t bad, eclipsing both Oilers goaltenders by a considerable margin.
Lyon may be the most average goalie on this list, but the Oilers have shown that he is all they need to have a chance at winning. If he can provide Edmonton with NHL-average goaltending on a nightly basis, he’d fit well, and he won’t be expensive.
4. Alexandar Georgiev, San Jose Sharks
Age:Ā 29
2024-25 stats:Ā 7-19-4, .875 SV%, -17.9 GSAx
Previous cap hit: $3.4 million
Let’s not mince words, the Oilers should probably steer very clear of Alexandar Georgiev.
The Russian goaltender is coming off a brutal season where just about everything went wrong. The Colorado Avalanche quickly realized he wasn’t the guy and shipped him off to the San Jose Sharks, where he put up some of the worst goaltending numbers in the entire league.
Sure, it was on one of the NHL’s worst teams, but he didn’t look much better playing on a very good Colorado team. Edmonton needs a more sure bet than Georgiev to help stabilize the goaltending.
5. Anton Forsberg, Ottawa Senators
Age: 32
2024-25 stats: 11-12-3, .901 SV%, +2.2 GSAx
Previous cap hit: $2.75 million
Another intriguing option available in free agency will be veteran Anton Forsberg.
Things did not go well for the Swedish goaltender in the nation’s capital, being relegated as a backup to Linus Ullmark and eventually being surpassed by upstart rookie Leevi MerilƤinen at the end of the season, but his stats aren’t bad.
Again, not the best record, but he still managed a SV% above .900 and had an okay GSAx. All the factors above will probably make him another buy-low candidate.