The Edmonton Oilers are only a week removed from a major move at their crease but already the organization is being forced to think several moves ahead.
On this week’s 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman revealed that Edmonton’s long-running interest in Alex Lyon has very much re-entered the picture following Tristan Jarry’s injury Thursday night in Boston.
While the Oilers are still waiting to determine the severity of that injury, Friedman made it clear the club has done extensive background work on Lyon and has remained engaged with Buffalo particularly given the uncertainty now facing Edmonton’s crease.
The timing is also uncomfortable given the Oilers had hoped the trade for Jarry would finally steady a position that has defined their earlyseason fog in recent years. Instead, less than two periods into what looked like a decent performance, the same question that followed Jarry to Edmonton resurfaced in availability.
Jarry’s injury reopens the ever-familiar concern
The Oilers’ win over the Boston Bruins saw Jarry leaving late in the second period after attempting to push across his crease. Calvin Pickard finished the game and delivered what Edmonton needed to secure the victory. However, even Pickard admitted afterward that, from a goalie’s perspective, the play didn’t look right in real time.
Kris Knobluach had no update postgame and that uncertainty loomed over the rest of the night and into the week. As Friedman pointed out, this was always the underlying concern with Jarry. While his recent track record has been strong, his fitness has remained the variable that teams have had to account for alongside his performance.
“And this was one of the worries about Jarry, Kyle. It’s as much about health as anything else,” Friedman said.
For Edmonton, that concern is also magnified by timing. The trade and roster freezes are arriving and the Oilers are still operating with limited flexibility. If Jarry’s injury is minor, the situation will likely stabilize. If it’s not, the Oilers may be forced into another decision far sooner than planned.
Why Alex Lyon is already part of the conversation
What’s notable and what Friedman mentioned is that Edmonton’s interest in Alex Lyon predates Jarry’s injury and even this season itself.
Friedman explained that the Oilers did a deep dive on Lyon last summer and revisited that work again this year. In recent weeks, Edmonton has checked in with Buffalo multiple times including before Jarmo Kekäläinen was officially installed in a leadership role with the Sabres.
That groundwork matters because it seems Lyon has long been identified internally as a viable contingency.
“As I said, Edmonton has spoken about him. They’ve done their research on him, they looked into him again this season, and they’ve called the Sabres a couple of times in recent weeks,” the insider shared.
Buffalo’s situation further clarifies the path. Kekäläinen has openly acknowledged that the Sabres’ three-goalie setup is coming to an end. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is viewed as entrenched and Colton Ellis despite being injured is highly regarded internally and considered part of their longer-term plans.
That leaves Lyon as the most realistic movable option assuming Buffalo is ready to act while still in the playoff race.
Alex Lyon will arrive as a stopgap, if he does
Friedman was careful not to oversell Lyon, but he was equally clear about his value. Lyon has developed a reputation around the league as a goaltender capable of stabilizing teams for meaningful stretches. Over the years, he has repeatedly delivered 10- to 15-game runs that have kept seasons from slipping away.
The Oilers are not necessarily searching for another long-term answer right now it seems. If Jarry is sidelined for any length of time, the Oilers cannot afford to simply ride out uncertainty in net.
As Friedman put it, Edmonton could do a lot worse than Lyon if they need a stopgap. That idea speaks for both Lyon’s track record and the reality of what is realistically available this time of year.
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Everything hinges on Jarry’s injury medical assessment
Ultimately, Friedman boiled the situation down to its simplest truth that this all depends on how serious Jarry’s injury is.
If Edmonton determines it’s not a major issue, nothing happens. If they believe it could linger or compromise availability, the move becomes far more likely and possibly imminent.
“It comes down to whether Buffalo is ready to do this and it also comes down to how seriously Jarry might be hurt. But I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Edmonton makes a call to Buffalo on Friday, if they haven’t already,” he said.
The Oilers’ decision-making window is narrow. The organization has already committed to change, a rather sudden one at that with the Stuart Skinner/Tristan Jarry trade.
Three-goalie systems and why teams try to escape them quickly
The broader conversation on 32 Thoughts also touched on a league-wide reality Edmonton understands well. Three-goalie systems rarely work cleanly given they create roster tension and cap inefficiencies, whether the team is contending or rebuilding.
Friedman pointed to examples in Carolina and Montreal as reminders that even when teams try to frame surplus goaltending as depth, it almost always becomes a headache.
Buffalo is experiencing that now and Edmonton will definitely be trying to avoid drifting into the same situation from a different angle.
Situation in crease remains uncertain so far
The Oilers are for now showing signs of coming out from their early season malaise. The process has improved and the Jarry trade initially looked like a step toward clarity at least.
But until there is certainty on Jarry’s health, the Oilers goaltending plan remains provisional and Friedman confirmed that Alex Lyon is firmly on Edmonton’s radar for that reality.
This may prove to be nothing more than prudent due diligence. Or it may be the early signal of another pivot in Oil Country. Either way, the margin for error in net remains thin and they know it at least.
