It’s yet another summer of change for the Edmonton Oilers as they search for answers. After coming agonizingly close to lifting the Stanley Cup two years straight, all that hockey between long playoff runs and the Winter Olympics appears to have sucked the life out of this roster.
Being bounced out of the first round is never a good look for a team with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the roster, which means Oilers general manager Stan Bowman will have to wheel and deal his behind off as #97 begins the first year of his cut-price, two-year, $25 million extension.
All eyes will be on what Edmonton does in goal, and most of the rumors have linked them with an eyebrow-raising swoop for a man who held Team Canada’s crease when they won the 4 Nations Face-Off last February.
Oilers, Panthers Could Lock Horns in Jordan Binnington Trade Sweepstakes
The man in question is, of course, St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington.
Binnington held the net for Team Canada in all four games at the 4 Nations Face-Off, making 31 saves in the final against Team USA in what was a truly memorable win.
Alas, Binnington’s stock has taken a nosedive since, and it appears the Blues will be willing to listen to offers on the netminder, considering he has just one year left on his $36 million contract.
If the Oilers do decide to take another gamble between the pipes, they won’t have a free run at Binnington, however. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that the Florida Panthers could also look to bring Binnington to town.
“On Binnington, as much as he’s linked to Edmonton, if the Florida Panthers cannot get Sergei Bobrovsky locked up to a new contract, Binnington will be on their radar, too,” Pagnotta reported this week. “Bobrovsky, meanwhile, wants to stay, but he wants term, and while he’ll take a discounted AAV, it hasn’t appealed to the Panthers, so far.”
The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford reported that Joel Hofer, who went 24-13-5 with a .910 save percentage and six shutouts, will be the starter for the Blues when next season rolls around, which leaves Binnington, at best, as the 1B option in St. Louis.
Binnington made 41 appearances (started 39 games) for the Blues in 2025/26 and ended the season with an .873 SV%. His Goals Against Average of 3.33 was the most alarming mark of his career since his rookie year, highlighting how his stock has continued to fall over the last two years.
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The Oilers, however, will have to think twice before taking another gamble at the position. The Tristan Jarry deal really did not pay off. In fact, Brett Kulak, the veteran D-man they shipped to Pittsburgh in the same deal (who PIT eventually traded to Colorado), ended up playing hero for the Avs as they eliminated the Minnesota Wild in Game 5.
While Edmonton is expected to bring Connor Ingram back, moving Jarry’s $5.375 million AAV contract (with two more years) could prove to be a tall order, especially at a time when his stock’s falling.
