As the offseason gets underway, the Edmonton Oilers must address their serious issue immediately. That is goaltending. The goalie tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard just is not good enough. Acquiring a better goalie is the number one goal for them in the offseason. They could go after a cheaper goalie in free agency or attempt to make a big trade. Either way, a new goalie must be on the way to Edmonton.
Let’s take a look at some potential goaltending options.
Sign UFA Dan Vladar
The first option for the Oilers is to go the cheaper route. Signing UFA Dan Vladar would not cost much, and he can serve as a valuable backup goalie. Vladar has spent the last four seasons with the rival Calgary Flames. The 27-year-old has had some bright moments with the Flames, where he has stolen some important wins. However, consistency has been an issue for the goalie throughout his entire career.
A contract for Vladar would most likely be a short-term deal, specifically, only one or two seasons. He would not cost very much, so management could sign him in the $2M to $3M range. Calvin Pickard has been a solid backup for the Oilers, as he went on a crazy 7–1 record in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Pickard gave the Oilers a boost when they needed it, but this roster still requires a change in goal. Vladar has had similar stats to Pickard this previous season, and has played well against the Oilers in his career. Should the Oilers consider this move? Or attempt a bigger trade in the offseason?
Trade for John Gibson
A more significant move for the Oilers would be to trade for John Gibson. Gibson had some remarkable seasons in the early stages of his career. This was when the Anaheim Ducks were contenders for the Stanley Cup. He, alongside Corey Perry, were a huge piece of those successful years in Anaheim. Could they have a chance to reunite in Oil Country?
David Pagnotta recently reported that Gibson would be open to a trade to the Oilers. If true, this is great news, as the goalie has a 10-team no-trade list on his contract. The 31-year-old does come with a hefty price. Gibson is making $6.4M for the next two seasons. Stan Bowman may have to ask the Ducks to retain some of the money on his deal to give the Oilers some leverage. A trade like this would most likely contain some roster players and a couple of draft picks going Anaheim’s way.
A couple of players that could be going to Anaheim in this deal include forwards Evander Kane and Viktor Arvidsson. Both players are overpaid, considering that Kane did not play until the playoffs, and Arvidsson truly underperformed. Trading one of these players in the deal would free up at least $4M (assuming that no salary is retained). The Oilers’ 2026 second-round pick would likely be included, as well as a later draft pick.
Trade for Thatcher Demko
Out of these three goalies, Thatcher Demko is easily the best of them when he is on his game. Trading for Demko would come at a huge risk, as he is extremely prone to injuries. However, he has shown at times in his career that he can be one of the best goalies in the league. During the 2020 NHL playoff bubble, Demko broke out and put his name on the map in a big way. In four games played, Demko posted a 0.985 save percentage along with a 0.64 goals against average. This was awarded with the awesome nickname “Pandemko.”
Demko is entering the last year of his contract with a cap hit of $5M. This is a trade that would be easier for the Oilers to make because Demko is on a fair contract. The only issue with this is whether or not the Vancouver Canucks are willing to move him. Demko had the worst season of his career in 2024–25, making it understandable why he could be traded, but the Canucks are in a confusing position. The team could be entering a rebuild soon, although nothing of that sort has been confirmed. They still have superstar talent in Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. Meanwhile, Brock Boeser is expected to hit free agency, and JT Miller was traded this past season. Losing two star players in a couple of months signals a rebuild in my opinion.
If the Oilers were to trade for Demko, it would require a solid prospect and a draft pick. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact type of deal because of the bad season Demko is coming off. I would expect the Oilers would have to give up Beau Akey and a second-round pick at the minimum. They would likely have to include another pick or prospect to get the deal done.
Do you think trading for Demko is a good goaltending option for the Oilers? He may be the best goalie option they can afford skill-wise.
Up Next: Should the Edmonton Oilers look to submit an offer sheet to Will Cuylle?
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I’m unsure how plausible it would be, but after watching the Calder Cup finals and also remembering the last playoffs Vs the Canucks… What about trying to get Arturs Shilovs? He can definitely steal games for his team and albeit his NHL rookie season debut was rough this year and he got sent down to the AHL (albeit, their whole team was rough the whole year so not entirely on just him), I think he’s got some serious potential and his asking price should be pretty low since he isn’t proven yet in the NHL.
Maybe he won’t be clutch in his first year like Dustin Wolf as we can’t hope for miracles all the time, but could you imagine if he was even close to that? Think about years to come!
At the same time, I think poor Stuart Skinner struggled this year given all the criticism he faced, plus losing his best friend on the team, Vincent Desharnais was tough on him and to top it off the death threats…