Frederik Andersen isn’t trying to sell the Edmonton Oilers on some grand comeback pitch. He’s not talking like a goalie desperate to reclaim a workhorse title or prove he can still shoulder 60-plus starts. What he’s offering is something a lot more practical: a clear-eyed understanding of where he is now, and why that fits Edmonton.
“I played 66 games in a row (with Toronto), a couple years in a row,” Andersen said during a Zoom call. “I think those days are probably over for me.
I’m definitely happy to be part of a good goalie rotation. It’s been a new thing in the NHL.
You’ve got to keep it fresh and really get the best out of each other that way.”
That’s the kind of answer that says plenty about the modern NHL, and even more about why Edmonton wanted him. The days of asking one goalie to drag a season on his back are fading. Stan Bowman pointed to the way Buffalo and Carolina handled their goaltending last season as a sign of where the league is headed.
“I think it's going to become more common in the coming years,” Bowman said. “Buffalo and Carolina, they both had a lot of success (last season).
It's been uncommon, for sure, in the past. But the way the schedule goes, in the modern game, goalies just aren't playing 60, 70 games a year.”
For Edmonton, that shift matters. Andersen came in with other options available, and at 36, he’s at a point in his career where age narrows the field even if experience still carries real value. He’s already been through the grind he’s no longer chasing.
“Maybe age had something to do with that,” Andersen said. “That's how it went.
This was an opportunity I could go to Edmonton. I think the deal is structured in a way that's going to help the team have some flexibility in terms of the bonuses they can put forward to next year.”
That kind of honesty is rare. Players usually talk about feeling young and fresh, even when the numbers and the mileage say otherwise.
Andersen didn’t do that. He spoke like someone who knows exactly what he can offer now.
Edmonton’s goaltending picture already includes Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi, and Andersen’s arrival gives the group more security and competition. Bowman made it clear the Oilers aren’t interested in crowning anyone in July, or even in November.
“I don't think there's a big benefit in anointing one guy as the No. 1 in July. Or even in November,” Bowman said. “You've got to win games, and whoever can help you win those games, we'll figure that out.”
That approach is a long way from the old obsession with finding one definitive answer in net. The Oilers spent plenty of time looking for that kind of goalie, the one who could settle everything. Andersen’s fit suggests they’ve finally moved on from that chase.
There’s also a familiar face in the mix. Andersen has already worked with Mike Babcock, which should make the adjustment smoother than it would be with a brand-new coach. Both sides know the other’s habits, and that familiarity should help them get to work quickly.
Andersen also sounded fully aware of what Edmonton is trying to do.
“Edmonton has been knocking on the door for a while now,” Andersen said. “They've been close.
It would be awesome to be part of the team to get over the hump. They're very serious about it.”
That’s the core of it. Andersen landed with a team that still expects to contend, but doesn’t need him to pretend he’s something he’s not.
He’ll share the net. Jarry will get his nights.
Levi could force his way into the conversation, and if that happens, Edmonton will take it as a good problem.
Andersen didn’t sound like a veteran clinging to the past. He sounded comfortable with the role in front of him, and with the chance to help a team that believes it’s close.
In Other News...
Oilers Face A Costly Top Six Decision They Can't Delay
The Oilers are sitting on close to $6 million in cap space, which is enough to keep the conversation going but not enough to make the need disappear. A top-six winger remains the obvious target, and the list of realistic options is not exactly overflowing, which is why the front office has to weigh whether a move can be made now rather than letting the market tighten even further.
The names that keep surfacing point to the same kind of player Edmonton is after: a winger who can score and fit into a contenders top six without disrupting the rest of the lineup. With the free-agent path looking thin, the real question is whether the Oilers want to wait for the trade deadline dance or get aggressive before the asking price and the competition both climb. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Still Have One Roster Problem Fans Wont Ignore
The Oilers have room to maneuver, and that alone keeps the conversation around their roster from settling down anytime soon. With salary cap space available and a few defensive additions already in place, Edmonton has at least given itself options as it tries to round out a team that still looks a little light on the blue line after moving Darnell Nurse.
The bigger question is how the club balances those options at the start of the season, especially with a three-goalie plan hanging over the roster picture. There is a path for Edmonton to keep adjusting as the year goes on, and the cap flexibility gives it some breathing room if the front office decides the current mix still needs another jolt before the trade deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Blue Line Squeeze Could Force A Move Fans Saw Coming
The Oilers have spent the summer building depth on the blue line, but the math is starting to get awkward. After a run of trades and signings, Edmonton now has eight defensemen making $1.3 million or more, and it is hard to imagine the club carrying all of them when the season opens. For a team that has spent years trying to stabilize its back end, this is the kind of surplus that can look like a luxury right up until it turns into a roster decision.
What makes the situation interesting is that the likely move does not appear to involve one of the more established names. Edmontons choice seems to be narrowing around a pair of younger defensemen, with handedness and recent usage both part of the equation. One option has the cleaner fit on paper, while the other spent more time on the outside looking in, and the Oilers now have to decide whether they want to keep the extra insurance or turn that depth into something else before camp sorts it out for them. [Read more 🡒]