The Oilers are off to a rough start this season. They sit third from the bottom in the Pacific Division and have dropped four of their last six games, raising real concerns about where things are headed.
Goaltending has become one of the biggest issues in Edmonton. Many fans, as well as some analysts, believe the team needs to make a move soon to stabilize the crease. However, one insider thinks the situation might unfold differently.
Insider Reveals Why the Oilers Might Hold Off on a Goaltending Move
Edmonton still hasn’t found the steady presence in net they’ve been hoping for. Both goalies have struggled to give the team consistent starts. Skinner has been up and down, posting a 3.00 GAA and an .885 save percentage. His shutout over the weekend was a nice moment. Still, it didn’t overshadow the four goals he gave up to Dallas earlier in the week before being pulled.
Pickard hasn’t been able to pick up the slack either; his 4.04 GAA and .847 save percentage show just how tough things have been.
With the crease unsettled, trade rumors have naturally started to swirl. Speaking on the FAN Hockey Show, NHL insider David Pagnotta offered his perspective on why Edmonton might not rush into a panic move.
Pagnotta explained, “The Oilers are gonna have around $20 million bucks in cap space in the summer, I expect them to be very active, I expect the goaltending position to be something that’s addressed.”
Right now, Edmonton has just $159,167 in available cap space and a projected $6.26 million for the playoffs. That makes any in-season acquisition extremely difficult. But next year paints a different picture.
The NHL’s salary cap is expected to climb to $104 million for the 2026-27 season. It will give the Oilers roughly $20 million to work with. That’s more than enough flexibility to overhaul their goaltending and bolster depth on both the wings and the blue line. It also gives them room to re-sign key players they want to keep.
Also Read: Oilers’ Tristan Jarry Trade Proposal Could Collapse For 1 Key Reason, per Insider
What makes things even more interesting is that all three of Edmonton’s goalies, Skinner, Pickard, and Ingram, are set to hit free agency after this season. The entire position is essentially a blank slate heading into next summer.
For now, it’s unclear whether the Oilers will bite the bullet and trade assets to fix their goaltending or simply wait until the offseason, when their options and cap space expand significantly.
