The Oilers’ blistering start has left them with a problem that suddenly looks useful: a goaltending logjam that could become a trade chip.
Edmonton is 9-2-2, and the headline names are doing exactly what you’d expect. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard sit first, second and tied for fifth in NHL scoring, while McDavid has more assists than anyone has points and is tracking toward 233 points through 13 games. Vasily Podkolzin has fit nicely on the top line, Ryan Shea has been a standout addition, and Devon Levi quickly took over the starting job in net before an undisclosed injury knocked him out for “a couple weeks,” as Ryan Rishaug stated.
That absence may actually create an opening.
With roughly eight to 12 games before Levi is expected back, Tristan Jarry is in line to handle the crease almost every night, with AHL journeyman Matt Tomkins behind him. That gives Edmonton a short window to showcase Jarry, build his value and potentially move on from his $5.375 million cap hit. A trade, though, would likely need another goalie coming back or Freddie Andersen getting healthy first.
Jarry’s numbers don’t jump off the page at first. In six starts, he’s 3-1-2 with an .889 save percentage.
Strip out the season opener, though, and that save percentage rises to .915. The play is trending up, and he has time to keep proving he can be a useful NHL starter.
If the Oilers decide to shop him, a few teams stand out.
Ottawa makes sense because Linus Ullmark is expected to miss a couple of weeks, and the Senators don’t have much depth behind him. Steve Staios also knows the Oilers well, and Ottawa has some cap room to work with.
If Jarry keeps playing well, he could fit as a strong 1B option. A possible framework would involve Jonas Johansson and a winger like Michael Amadio going back to Edmonton, with a draft pick or two attached.
Los Angeles is another possibility, though this one comes with complications. The Kings have been rotating Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg, and neither has given them much.
Both are unsigned beyond this season, while Jarry is under contract for next year. The issue is money: LA has no cap space, so any deal would have to be dollar-in, dollar-out.
That makes it a tough fit, especially inside the division. Still, if the Kings keep sliding, they could shift toward collecting draft assets.
In that scenario, Edmonton could send Jarry and a pick to LA for Kuemper, clearing out an expensive goalie for next season while keeping a usable third-string option.
Detroit may be the cleanest fit of all. The Red Wings have more than $20 million in cap space, several pricey contracts coming off the books, and no goaltenders signed beyond this season.
With the possibility of a Dylan Larkin trade, even if it remains unlikely, Detroit could be looking to shed salary as it approaches the 2027-28 cap floor. John Gibson and Daniil Tarasov are both headed for unrestricted free agency, while young Czech goalie Michal Postava, whom Edmonton just faced, is an RFA.
That setup could make Jarry a natural target, and Detroit’s cap room means Edmonton might not even need a player back. The Red Wings could use Jarry as part of a tandem with Postava next season and add draft capital in the process.
In Other News...
Oilers Goalie Prospect Is Forcing A Bigger Pipeline Conversation
Daniel Salonen is starting to make the Oilers goalie pipeline look a little more interesting than it did on draft day. The 2025 sixth-round pick has settled in as Lukkos starter in Finlands Liiga, and his early work has turned heads for the right reasons. He has been sharp enough to stand out in a league where the average numbers are far less forgiving, and the underlying metrics have backed up what the eye test is seeing.
What makes the development notable for Edmonton is not just the results, but the way he is getting them. Salonen has shown quick feet and a strong ability to read plays, even as his hand movements continue to develop. For a prospect taken late, that kind of progress can change the conversation quickly, especially when he is earning the crease ahead of a more established option and giving the organization a reason to look closer at its long-term goaltending depth. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Suddenly Have A Morgan Frost Decision They Didn't Expect
The rumor mill around Edmonton has taken on a bigger star turn, with Nikita Kucherov suddenly surfacing in trade chatter tied to the Oilers. The idea has plenty of intrigue on its own, especially with the team already built around Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard, but it also comes with an obvious challenge: making the money work in a way that would actually allow a deal to happen.
For Calgary, the ripple effect is more immediate. Morgan Frost had looked like a player who could be moved, but extension talks have now entered the picture and changed the tone around his future. What once seemed like a straightforward trade candidate has become a more complicated decision for the Flames, and for Edmonton fans watching the market, it is another reminder that the biggest names are only part of the story until a team can clear the path to land them. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Turn To Matt Tomkins In A Spot Fans Did Not Expect
A sudden crease shuffle has pushed Matt Tomkins into the spotlight, with Mike Babcock saying the goaltender will make his Oilers debut against the New York Rangers. Edmonton had to reach down to AHL Bakersfield after Devon Levi was placed on injured reserve, and Tomkins was the emergency recall who suddenly found himself in line for a much bigger stage than anyone likely expected.
Tomkins is not arriving as a total unknown, either. He has previous NHL experience and only recently signed a two-year, two-way contract with Edmonton, giving the organization a bit of familiarity with him before this opportunity came up. For the Oilers, the immediate question is how the crease holds up in a spot that was not part of the original plan. [Read more 🡒]