Frederik Andersen didn’t need much convincing about Edmonton.
The veteran goalie said the Oilers’ ongoing push toward a Stanley Cup was the main reason he signed a one-year, $2.8 million deal on July 1, and he made that clear when he spoke to reporters for the first time since the agreement. For Andersen, Edmonton looked like a team that has been circling the prize long enough to make the move worthwhile.
“I mean, obviously Edmonton, I think, has been knocking on the door for a while now,” Andersen said through a video conference on Monday. “Obviously, it’s a team that’s got aspirations to try to win, and like I said, they’ve been close.
“Obviously, it would be awesome to be part of the team to get over the hump, and obviously I think they’re very serious about it. So that’s part of it. I’m really excited about that opportunity.
Andersen arrives in Edmonton after winning the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes, and he brings a postseason résumé the Oilers are clearly betting on. In the playoffs, he went 13-2 with a 1.89 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage, and three shutouts. That kind of track record is exactly what Edmonton is hoping can steady a position that has caused problems in recent seasons.
General manager Stan Bowman has overhauled the goaltending room, and Andersen is part of a new setup that also includes Tristan Jarry and newly acquired Devon Levi. The expectation is a three-goalie rotation under new head coach Mike Babcock, a structure that would spread out the workload and give the club multiple answers in net.
On the 32 Thoughts podcast, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said the move made sense for Edmonton. “I like the Freddie Andersen pickup for Edmonton,” Friedman said.
“They did a lot of research into [Levi]… I got to think they’re going with three goalies next year. Jarry, Andersen, and Levi.
They’ll see how it works.”
The Oilers are not bringing Andersen in to carry the load every night. His 2025-26 regular season was uneven, but the playoffs showed why teams still value a goalie with his experience. Edmonton’s need is simpler than volume: they need dependable saves when the games tighten and the pressure rises.
With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading an elite roster, the Oilers have had the talent to contend. What has kept them from getting all the way there is inconsistent goaltending, and Andersen’s comments suggest he sees the same opening the team does. If the three-goalie plan works, this could end up being one of Edmonton’s most significant offseason additions.
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The harder question is whether the rest of his game has caught up. Nikishins defensive results lagged behind the eye-catching production, and the underlying numbers painted an uneven picture against quality chances. With the Hurricanes always weighing fit as much as talent, that mix has put him in an unexpectedly delicate spot as the front office tries to keep the roster pointed toward contention. [Read more 🡒]