The Oilers didn’t stumble into Frederik Andersen’s situation. They walked into it with their eyes open.
When Edmonton signed Andersen to a one-year deal on July 1, the club already knew he wouldn’t be ready to jump in right away. That reality makes the move look messy on the surface - a goalie missing camp and potentially sidelined for a couple of months as the season opens on September 29 - but the organization appears to have built that into the plan from the start.
General manager Stan Bowman explained as much in a conversation with Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer. He said Andersen’s problem is not a fresh setback, but a lingering one, the sort of hockey injury teams often hope can be handled without surgery. “I think it’s a situation where sometimes with these things, you’re hoping that you don’t need any type of procedure,” said Bowman.
That matches what Andersen said in July, when he described a “tweaked” knee and the need for time off after signing. Bowman said the team understood that rest might not solve everything, and that eventually the situation would have to be reassessed if it didn’t improve.
The bigger point, though, is that Edmonton never expected Andersen to carry the load anyway. Bowman pointed to the goalie’s age and injury history, saying, “But I think that was part of our game plan going in, knowing that he is a bit older, and he’s had a few injuries before.”
That’s why the Oilers have Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi in the mix as well, with both expected to get real chances to start the year in net. Bowman also said Andersen is expected to be out longer than winger Matt Savoie, who was injured during offseason training and had that injury announced in August.
For now, Edmonton isn’t looking outside the organization for more help in goal.
That makes the signing feel less like a panic move and more like a pre-planned hedge. The Oilers knew Andersen might not be available when they needed him most, so they added him at a modest price and protected themselves with other options already in place.
If they need a third goalie later, the idea is that they’ll already have one. And if the timing works out, Andersen can step in once the team is ready to make a change.
Either way, the Oilers won’t be forced into a scramble. They won’t have to chase a trade partner or pull a solution out of thin air.
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Oilers Need Tristan Jarry To Answer Their Biggest Net Question
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Devon Levi is now in the picture, and Frederik Andersen has also joined the roster, giving Edmonton a deeper but more crowded competition for the crease. That makes Jarrys start to the 2026-27 season especially important, because his early performance may go a long way toward determining whether he can still carve out a meaningful role with the Oilers. [Read more 🡒]