8 goalies Edmonton Oilers could target over the summer
The offseason has arrived for the Edmonton Oilers, and the focus will once again shift to the goaltending.
It feels like Edmonton has been on the lookout for a bona fide starting goaltender since the beginning of time, but they still haven’t found one. The organization gave up on Stuart Skinner last season in favour of Tristan Jarry, who has also struggled, and both Calvin Pickard and Connor Ingram are likely to hit free agency.
Though Jarry lost the net, it looks like he will remain with the Oilers. He’s got two years left on his current contract and carries a cap hit of $5.375 million. That won’t be an easy contract to offload, and a buyout would likely do more to hurt the team than help. Still, Edmonton should assume he’ll be an expensive backup rather than rest all their hopes on Jarry rebounding.
The Oilers need to make a push for a legitimate starting goaltender this summer, and they should have some options. It does appear that the trade market will offer up the highest ceiling options as compared to a rather middling free agent crop this season.
Regardless of which route GM Stan Bowman wants to go, Oilers fans should be expecting a new face between the pipes for the 2026-27 season.
Here is a look at eight goalies the Oilers could potentially target this summer to make it happen:
1. Connor Ingram, free agent
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 16-10-3, .899 SV%, +1.7 GSAx
Cap hit: TBD
It was an up-and-down year in Edmonton for Ingram, but he wound up stealing away the starting job from Jarry and put up respectable numbers down the stretch.
He wouldn’t be an awful guy to bring back, but likely not the type of move that the Oilers need to really shake up the position.
2. Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota Wild
Age: 27
2025-26 stats: 28-15-6, .904 SV%, +1.4 GSAx
Cap hit: $6.8 million (UFA-2031)
Gustavsson has had another great season with the Wild, but appears to have been passed over in the playoffs in favour of rookie Jesper Wallstedt. If that continues, it could cause friction between Gustavsson and Minnesota management.
He’d be an excellent option for the Oilers and would be the team’s undisputed starting goalie.
3. Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
Age: 32
2025-26 stats: 13-20-7, .873 SV%, -22.4 GSAx
Cap hit: $6 million (UFA-2027)
It’s Joel Hofer’s crease in St. Louis moving forward, meaning Binnington could be on the way out.
Binnington was statistically one of the worst goalies in the NHL this season, yet his reputation may help him salvage some value on the trade market. The Oilers have been linked to him plenty of times before and should be again this summer.
4. Sergei Bobrovsky, free agent
Age: 37
2025-26 stats: 27-23-1, .877 SV%, -12.2 GSAx
Cap hit: TBD
The Oilers saw firsthand how good Sergei Bobrovsky can be in the brightest spotlights, but could they really bring him aboard?
Age will be a factor for Bobrovsky, and so will his potential price tag in free agency. He’s the top goalie on the UFA market, so Edmonton will definitely be around it, but those other factors make it feel unlikely.
5. Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
Age: 31
2025-26 stats: 28-22-8, .894 SV%, -9.3 GSAx
Cap hit: $7.74 million (UFA-2033)
The Nashville Predators seem ready to tear it down, and that could include star goalie Juuse Saros.
Saros has long had a reputation as being among the league’s best goaltenders, but he struggled a bit on a bad Nashville squad this past season. He’d be a great addition to the Oilers, but one wonders what the trade cost would be for Edmonton to acquire him.
6. Samuel Montembeault, Montreal Canadiens
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 10-8-4, .872 SV%, -4.9 GSAx
Cap hit: $3.15 million (UFA-2027)
Samuel Montembeault was once seen as one of the league’s up-and-coming goalies.
Those days have passed, however, as the Quebec native turned in the worst season of his career this past season. Montembeault lost the starting job in Montreal to rookie Jakub Dobes and appears close to being pushed out by prospect Jacob Fowler.
Like Jarry, it may be too risky to hope Montembeault rebounds next season.
7. Stuart Skinner, free agent
Age: 27
2025-26 stats:Ā 23-17-9, .888 SV%, +8.3 GSAx
Cap hit: TBD
Could Edmonton really bring back Skinner this summer?
Come July 1, he will be among the best free agent goaltenders available on the open market, so it makes sense that a return could be at least talked about. Yet, considering the history between the player and organization, it does seem very unlikely.
Still, never say never.
8. Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 30
2025-26 stats: 8-10-1, .897 SV%, +2.0 GSAx
Cap hit: $8.5 million (UFA-2029)
Thatcher Demko is the ultimate high-risk, high-reward option for the Oilers.
Either you trade for him, and you get one of the league’s best goaltenders, or he falls apart with yet another injury. The third option is that he stays healthy but is unable to return to form after so many injury setbacks.
The Canucks are rebuilding, so he shouldn’t be as untouchable as he once was. But the risks may outweigh the benefits of such a move.