The Edmonton Oilers enter the final stretch before Friday's trade deadline sitting third in the Pacific Division after going 1–2 following the Olympic break. The Oilers carry a 29-24-8 record into the week.
The Oilers dropped their most recent game to the San Jose Sharks, and defensive inconsistencies have intensified questions about the roster with little room to maneuver.
Edmonton ranks 26th in goals against and 26th on the penalty kill, prompting speculation about potential upgrades on the blue line and in net ahead of the deadline.
Despite ongoing concerns regarding their goaltending rotation, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Sunday the Oilers are not pursuing another goalie after trading for Tristan Jarry earlier this season.
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“At the risk of things changing quickly this year, I looked into it yesterday to see if the Oilers were in the goalie market, and I heard from a couple of places that the answer was no,” Friedman said. “They’ve made their bet in net, and they are gonna live with that.”
Friedman had already made the point when asked about it on Sportsnet's "Saturday Headlines" segment.
“They’ve already made their move,” Friedman said of Edmonton's potential pursuit of a goaltender. “They’re looking at D [a defenseman] or 3C [third-line center].”
Edmonton acquired Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins in December in exchange for Stuart Skinner. Jarry has posted a 3.85 goals-against average and an .863 save percentage in 12 games with the Oilers.
According to Friedmann, instead of revisiting the crease, Edmonton’s front office is prioritizing reinforcements on the blue line and at forward. Moreover, Friedman went as far as linking the Oilers with a particular blueliner.
“From what I’ve heard, I think Edmonton is looking at two possibilities: a defenseman who can play the right side, [Oliver Ekman-Larsson] has done that before, or potentially a third center, especially if Ryan Nugent-Hopkins stays on the wing,” Friedman said. “They’ve got to move on from [Andrew] Mangiapane, but those are, I think, the two positions that Edmonton is considering shoring up.”
Ekman-Larsson of the Toronto Maple Leafs has been linked as a potential Oilers' target. The 34-year-old left-shot defenseman, who can play the right side, has eight goals and 27 assists in 60 games and carries a $3.5 million cap hit for two more seasons.
With limited cap space, Edmonton waived Andrew Mangiapane and Alec Regula to create some flexibility and sits right above zero with $10,969 in cap room entering Monday.
The Oilers face the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET, with just a few days remaining before the deadline.