As of right now, the Edmonton Oilers’ goaltending situation is completely up in the air. Connor Ingram and Calvin Pickard are both set to hit free agency, while Tristan Jarry still has two years remaining on his contract. There is no chance that this team can be a Stanley Cup contender with Jarry as the main goalie. They at least need another decent goalie who could split starts with him throughout the season.
One goalie that the Oilers could target is future Hall of Famer Sergei Bobrovsky. The veteran goalie is best known for his years as a Florida Panther, as he helped them take down the Oilers in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals.
Should the Oilers pursue Bobrovsky on a short-term deal? Or is he a Panther until he retires?
Bobrovsky’s recent career statistics
| GP | W | L | OTL | SV% | GAA | |
| 2022–23 | 50 | 24 | 20 | 3 | .901 | 3.07 |
| 2023–24 | 58 | 36 | 17 | 4 | .915 | 2.37 |
| 2024–25 | 54 | 33 | 19 | 2 | .906 | 2.44 |
| 2025–26 | 52 | 27 | 23 | 1 | .877 | 3.07 |
There is no doubt that Bobrovsky has been a legendary goalie of the 2000s. He won a couple of Vezina Trophies during his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets, then went on to make three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances with the Panthers. Obviously, his first appearance against the Vegas Golden Knights did not go very well. However, Bobrovsky and the Panthers had the Oilers’ number in back-to-back finals, solidifying their spot in hockey history. The best playoff run in Bobrovsky’s career was actually his most recent. In the 2025 run, he posted a .914 SV% alongside a 2.20 GAA.
Some NHL players just get better as they get older. They somehow do not seem to age at all. Bobrovsky falls into that category. Going to three straight Cup Finals is a lot of hockey. The fact that Bobrovsky had enough gas in the tank to play through all those games is impressive. Although this previous season was a major step back. The entire Panthers roster had a tough season. A key factor in that was the number of injuries they had. One cannot deny, though, that Bobrovsky’s time in the NHL may be coming to an end.
Should the Oilers give him one last kick at the can?
Bobrovsky’s career achievements
As I already mentioned, Bobrovsky has won his Stanley Cups and Vezina Trophies. He will likely go into the Hockey Hall of Fame and be one of the greatest goaltenders in recent history. Not only has he been one of the best in the NHL, but he will also be one of the best Russian goalies of all time. Bobrovsky will certainly be put on the same level as goalies such as Nikolai Khabibulin, Evgeni Nabokov, and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Outside of the NHL, Bobrovsky has represented Russia on the international stage on plenty of occasions. His most notable appearance came in the 2014 Winter Olympics. He played in three games, posting a 1–1 record with a miraculous .952 SV% and 1.15 GAA. Unfortunately, Bobrovsky failed to get a medal in this tournament. Another great opportunity the goalie had was playing for Russia at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Here, Bobrovsky played in four games, posting a 2–2 record with a .930 SV% and a 2.53 GAA.
There is no doubt that Bobrovsky has always shown up at the international stage. Sadly, he has nearly always been on the losing side of things. Fortunately, Bobrovsky’s winning moment came at the 2014 World Championship. The legendary goalie led Russia to a gold medal win with a remarkable 8–0 record, .950 SV%, and a 1.13 GAA.
Should the Oilers pursue Bobrovsky?
Honestly, if it’s the only option the Oilers have, I would be open to them bringing in Bobrovsky on a one-year deal. Clearly, he would have to want to sign in Edmonton. An experienced, successful goalie like him may want to enjoy the last years of his career rather than go to the team that is facing the most pressure. However, I do think he would be a valuable addition to the squad if he did sign.
Bobrovsky would hands down be the most respected goalie the Oilers have had in years. He would earn the respect of his teammates instantly and would be an excellent mentor to have on the team. Yes, the hate of him being on the Panthers is still there, but that has to be pushed aside by now. A tandem of Bobrovsky and Jarry does have the potential to be a disaster, but it would be one of the only potential good options the Oilers have as well.
Overall, if the Oilers could sign Bobrovsky at the right price, I think it could be worth it. A goalie turning 38 in September cannot be worth all that much, especially since he is coming off a down year. This signing would honestly be extremely interesting and would create a ton of buzz around the Oilers.
If the Oilers are unable to sign the likes of Jordan Binnington or Filip Gustavsson, should they consider going down the Bobrovsky route?
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