Could UFA goalie Jaroslav Halak be an option for the Oilers?
The Edmonton Oilers may have an easy way to shake up their goaltending situation.
Fresh off their 11th loss of the season, this time in the form of a 5-3 defeat by the Florida Panthers, the Oilers are still looking for above-average goaltending.
AHL veteran Calvin Pickard got the start this time around, with sophomore Stuart Skinner getting a break after six consecutive starts. Although Pickard looked good at times during the game, he still ended his night giving up four goals on 32 shots, landing him with a .875 save percentage.
It’s been reported time and time again that Oilers GM Ken Holland has been searching for a trade to upgrade between the pipes but, thus far, nothing has materialized. If something doesn’t get done soon to bring in another goalie, you can probably kiss the Oilers playoff hopes goodbye, if you haven’t done so already.
The problem with a trade is that Edmonton is not in an ideal situation. They hold almost no leverage and teams are not going to be eager to throw them a lifeline. There is also the issue of Edmonton not being that desirable of a place for players with trade protection to waive to.
If a trade proves to be too difficult to make, Holland might start exploring other avenues, such as free agency. November isn’t known to be a month where there are a lot of worthwhile players still looking for a contract but there is one name that holds a bit of weight when it comes to NHL experience in the blue paint.
Veteran goaltender Jaroslav Halak, now 38, was recently released from a professional try-out with the Carolina Hurricanes and is now searching for a new NHL home. The Slovakian netminder spent last season backing up Igor Shesterkin with the New York Rangers and had a decent 10-9-5 record with a .903 save percentage in 25 games.
Halak released from PTO in Carolina. Could he be an option for the #Oilers?
— Preston Hodgkinson (@NHLHodgkinson) November 20, 2023
Adding Halak is far from a sure bet for the Oilers. Though he had decent underlying numbers last season, it should be noted that he was playing in front of a very good Rangers team and only managed average numbers. Edmonton’s defence is much more porous and Halak would be facing more high-quality shots.
What could be appealing about the idea is the ease with which the Oilers could make it happen. Holland would have to give up no assets to acquire Halak and might be able to get the veteran signed to a deal under $1 million. It’s one of the only goalie situations where Edmonton could have the leverage.
This would allow the Oilers to send Pickard back down to the AHL and run a tandem of Skinner-Halak for the rest of the season.
This, of course, would be far from the most ideal situation for the Oilers. Halak is in the twilight of his career and is far removed from his days of willing the Montreal Canadiens to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010.
It would, however, give Holland the benefit of saying that he didn’t stand idly by as he watched his team falter. While trading for a more impactful goalie is most likely the preference, adding Halak on a cheap one-year deal would represent an easy way to shake things up if a trade winds up being too hard to consummate.