Oilers were on the cusp of a major goalie trade this week: report
The Edmonton Oilers are in desperate need of goaltending help and reportedly came close to acquiring it earlier this week.
Though the Oilers goalies aren’t solely responsible for the team’s putrid 2-9-1 record on the year, they certainly haven’t helped. Jack Campbell was recently assigned to the AHL due to his struggles, while Stuart Skinner owns a .854 save percentage through eight appearances.
Given the expectations this Oilers team had entering the season, Ken Holland has to be considering almost everything at this point to help right the ship. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on his latest 32 Thoughts podcast, the Oilers’ general manager nearly pulled off a deal for a goalie on Wednesday.
“There are people around the league who believe the Oilers were on the precipice of a big more on Wednesday,” Friedman said. “I don’t know what happened, but I had people say to me, ‘Watch the Oilers in goal, they’re up to something,’ and they weren’t talking about Campbell.”
While the goaltender they were looking at remains unknown, several have recently been rumoured to be on the Oilers’ list. Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues and Jake Allen of the Montreal Canadiens have been discussed. Fans have also suggested Nashville Predators’ Juuse Saros, as well as Boston Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman, both of whom would require huge packages to bring in.
Ultimately, whatever move was discussed failed to come to fruition, resulting in the Oilers assigning Campbell to the Bakersfield Condors. That failed to provide a spark to the group, however, as proven by last night’s devastating loss to the San Jose Sharks. Skinner once again was unable to make the big save or two his team needed, which helped further prove this team’s need for a goaltender. Perhaps Holland will begin working the phones once again in order to find one.
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