While it is still only preseason, the lingering fears of the Edmonton Oilers’ goalie situation are still persistent. Stuart Skinner did not have a good night against the Seattle Kraken, with two arguably very weak goals. Yes, it’s only preseason and we shouldn’t put that much stock into it, but Skinner, despite a new goalie coach and a decrease in weight, had the same problems that have plagued them for years.
There was always a wonder if Edmonton might get a short-term stopgap in the preseason, and there are still a few names they can consider to claim once the season opener comes on October 8.
Let’s take a quick look at potential names they could consider.
Connor Ingram
Ingram, recently placed on waivers, is the best bet the Oilers can make heading into the season. Carrying a $1.95M cap hit, he’s affordable enough for the Oilers to bring him onto the team. Ingram has played behind some painfully bad Arizona Coyotes/Utah Hockey Club teams and has shown well, including a 13.5 GSax season in 2023–24.
Last year, he went through some off-ice struggles, including the death of his mother, and a stint in the NHLPA Assistance Program. Ingram is a good candidate to bounce back, and there’s no reason to believe he’d struggle under the Oilers’ defence. The Oilers are low on waiver priority though, so there’s a chance he won’t fall to them. Let’s see what happens.
Mikey DiPietro
One of the names we’ve been hearing since June has been Boston Bruins netminder Michael DiPietro. A former Canuck and WJC Team Canada goalie, Michael has yet to find his footing in the league. He has played three NHL games from 2018 through 2022, but he got absolutely lit up in all three. Since then, he’s been in Providence working on his game and has posted three very strong seasons consisting of .943, .918, and a .927 SV%.
He’s a UFA in the summer of 2027, making $812.5K. Is he really better than Skinner? Who knows. Is he better than Pickard? Maybe? It’s not a bet the Oilers should make right now, rather than one a rebuilding team would make. The Oilers also do not need an AHL goaltender as Samuel Jonsson and Matt Tomkins are likely the duo there, with Nathaniel Day and Connor Ungar in Fort Wayne. If DiPietro had way more pro experience, I’d do it.
Nico Daws
Another former Team Canada WJC goalie is Nico Daws. Daws is for sure going to be waived by the New Jersey Devils as Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen tend the twine in Newark. Daws has a bit of a weird track record. In a very limited sample size last year, he had a 3–1 record, a +4.9 GSAx, a .939SV%, and a 1.6 GAA—great numbers.
However, he was awful in the AHL, below a .900SV%, and over a 3.00 GAA per game. The season before that he split time between Vitek Vanecek, Akira Schmid and Jake Allen, and once again struggled immensely.
Stauffer has mentioned his name on occasion so I wouldn’t be shocked to see him in Edmonton near the end of the preseason, but I see this more as a lateral move or a move for the sake of making one.
Ville Husso/Petr Mrazek
While I think it’s unlikely the Oilers take either of the two due to their very large salaries, it’s still none the less an option. Husso makes $2.2M until the summer of 2027 and Mrazek is a UFA next summer. It’s more likely than not Mrazek is waived as Husso was recently signed to an extension. This means the Anaheim Ducks see something in him, whereas Mrazek was a “throw-in” in the John Gibson trade.
Both of these guys make way too much given the results they’ve produced over the last few years and are downgrades on both Pickard and Skinner. You can argue Husso still has some upside to his game, as he was good on the St. Louis Blues and stole Jordan Binnington’s spot for awhile, and his teams in Detroit were horrendous defensively, but still it’s not a bet Edmonton should be making.
Who should we go after?
Connor Ingram remains the best option available this preseason and we’ll see by noon Friday if he lands in Edmonton. If not, I’d place a bet on one of Daws/DiPietro landing into the city.
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Dipietro is the only one I would take out of these. He has posted better AHL numbers than either of our goalies and I would be willing to risk losing Pickard n order to have Dipietros higher ceiling