Stan Bowman left little doubt about Tristan Jarry’s immediate future, even after the Edmonton Oilers shook up their roster with a busy day of free-agent activity.
Speaking with the media on Wednesday, Bowman addressed the moves Edmonton made, including a couple of signings, a trade sending Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks, and a deal to bring in Devon Levi from the Buffalo Sabres. That Levi trade naturally raised questions about what it meant for Jarry, and Bowman’s response was straightforward.
“Tristan will be back. We are still looking at some other things for our roster. We wanted to find a young goalie and we see a lot of upside in his (Levi) game.”
Bowman also said, “He adds he feels is ready to take the next step.”
For now, the Oilers are not necessarily locked into a Jarry-Levi tandem, but that appears to be the direction. Edmonton views Levi as a goalie who has not really had the chance to show what he can do, and the team wants to give him that opportunity this season. Jarry, meanwhile, will get a shot to settle in and rediscover his game.
His first stretch with the Oilers after coming over from the Pittsburgh Penguins did not go smoothly. He struggled, then dealt with an early injury, and when he returned, his play was even more uneven. That eventually opened the door for Connor Ingram to take over the starting job.
Edmonton did not bring Ingram back, and he will test the market. He has not signed yet.
The larger issue in Edmonton is obvious: goal is still the biggest question mark. Levi flashed in limited starts, but he remains unproven. Jarry has a contract that is difficult to move, yet the leash on him next season likely won’t be long.
And Bowman may not be finished. Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now posted, “FWIW.
I don’t believe that the Edmonton Oilers are done here. GM Stan Bowman was just on @OilersNow and seemed bullish on bringing Kasperi Kapanen back.
And I still think the team is considering adding a veteran in goal too.”
In Other News...
Sabres Just Made A Goalie Decision Fans Will Debate For Years
The Oilers quietly took a swing at one of their biggest organizational needs by landing Devon Levi, a young goaltender with real long-term upside, in a trade with Buffalo. Edmonton also picked up a seventh-rounder in 2028, while sending the Sabres a 2028 third-round choice, a price that signals the team sees Levi as more than a depth addition.
For Edmonton, the appeal is obvious: Levi is now lined up with Tristan Jarry as part of the clubs goaltending tandem for the 2026-27 season, giving the organization a new look in net and a possible answer down the road. Levis move out of Buffalo closes a chapter that never fully settled into a full-time starter role, and the next one in Edmonton comes with pressure, opportunity and plenty of eyes on how quickly he can turn promise into reliability. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers May Be Eyeing A Familiar Free Agency Gamble Again
The offseason chatter around Edmonton has turned toward a familiar type of add, the veteran power forward who can give the lineup a little more finishing touch without needing top-line minutes. Anders Lee, Jamie Benn and James Van Riemsdyk are all being floated as possible fits, and each brings a different mix of pedigree, size and recent scoring history that could appeal to a team looking to deepen its offense without making a splashy long-term commitment.
The appeal is easy to see, but so is the risk. All three are on the older side for free-agent bets, which is exactly why these kinds of discussions can feel like a gamble even when the fit makes sense on paper. Edmonton has not made any official move, and for now the idea remains just that, a possibility the Oilers may decide is worth revisiting if they want another layer of scoring support around their core. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Make Another Quiet Forward Move That Could Matter
The Oilers have added another depth forward to the mix, signing Eduards Tralmaks to a one-year deal as they continue to round out the roster with low-cost bets that could pay off later. It fits the pattern of a team that has already been busy this offseason, following the trade of Darnell Nurse and the signing of Ryan Shea while trying to keep the forward group stocked with options.
Tralmaks comes off a productive season with Grand Rapids, where he put up 26 goals and 42 points in 64 AHL games. For Edmonton, the appeal is obvious: a player who can score at the minor-league level, comes cheaply at $850,000, and gives the organization another name to track as camp approaches, even if the path to meaningful NHL minutes still has to be earned. [Read more 🡒]