Suddenly, the Oilers are carrying a crowded goaltending picture in the system.
The usual benchmark for that kind of organizational depth is six netminders: two in Edmonton, two in Bakersfield, and another pair in Fort Wayne. Last year, Edmonton already had too many goalies and sent Connor Ungar out on loan, where he went on to outperform the ECHL average by a significant amount.
That’s a different problem from not having enough, and it changes the conversation around the position. The Oilers’ current depth chart features Frederik Andersen, Tristan Jarry and Matt Tomkins as the veteran group, with Devon Levi and Connor Ungar in the “time is now” mid-20s category. Behind them sit prospects Samuel Jonsson, Nathan Day and newly added Eemil Vinni.
The structure makes sense. For this season, the Oilers appear covered in goal with Andersen, Jarry and Levi.
Looking ahead, the future seems to run through some combination of Levi, Jonsson and Ungar. And as always with goaltending, one new name like Vinni - or another surprise from the system - can shift the whole picture quickly.
The franchise has had its share of standout goalies over the years, including draft picks Andy Moog and Grant Fuhr, along with smart trades for Bill Ranford, Curtis Joseph and Cam Talbot.
The organization still doesn’t have the kind of overwhelming depth one fan once associated with the 1970-71 Montreal Canadiens, when Rogie Vachon, Phil Myre and late recall Ken Dryden were in the picture, along with Dryden, Wayne Thomas, Ray Martyniuk and Lyle Carter in the AHL with the Voyageurs. Michel Plasse was in the CPHL, and the Canadiens also held the rights to Glenn Resch, who was at the University of Minnesota-Duluth that season.
That was an absolute monster of a system, and the team would have been in good shape with plenty of those names. Dryden, of course, stood above the rest.
The Oilers are not there, but Stan Bowman is building a pipeline, and the Levi-Jonsson-Ungar group looks like real progress. Goaltending matters too much to treat casually, and Edmonton seems to be taking that seriously.
On the Lowdown today, Steve Lansky will join the show to talk CFL, the Jays and the start of hockey season. The program runs noon to 2pm on Sports 1440 and You Tube.
In Other News...
Oilers Face A Tough Spencer Stastney Decision On Defense
Spencer Stastney spent much of last season filling in as a useful stopgap on the Edmonton blue line, stepping into a bigger role when Brett Kulak was out and getting into 66 games along the way. He also signed a one-year contract extension in July, a move that reflected his value as a depth defenseman who could be trusted when injuries thinned out the lineup.
Since the Oilers got healthier, though, Stastneys role has been squeezed, which is the sort of depth-chart reality that can force a team to make uncomfortable decisions. Edmonton has enough defensive depth to at least consider whether keeping a player in that spot is the best use of the asset, and the idea of moving him for a draft pick has surfaced as the kind of option that would help the organization balance now versus later. [Read more 🡒]
McDavid Superteam Buzz Will Hit Oilers Fans Right In The Gut
With Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews both two years away from free agency in 2028, the NHLs rumor mill has started to wander into territory that naturally grabs attention in Edmonton. The idea of two franchise centers, two captains and two of the leagues biggest names eventually landing on the same roster has been floated in recent chatter, and it is the kind of speculation that immediately lands with extra force for Oilers fans.
Fueling the conversation is the fact that McDavid and Matthews share the same agent, which only makes the hypothetical feel a little more plausible on the surface. Still, for now it remains exactly that, a hypothetical, with no confirmed plans on either side. Even so, once the superteam idea is out there, it is the sort of thing that is hard for an Oilers crowd to simply shrug off. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Just Saw Another Offseason Staff Change Take Shape
The Oilers offseason staff picture took another turn this week as the coaching carousel kept moving across the hockey map. Around the league, Quinn Hughes is still unsigned but expects to work toward an extension with Minnesota as market shifts continue to shape the timing and price, Shane Smith landed a one-year deal with Henderson in the AHL, and Samu Tuomaala moved on to Linkoping in Sweden after Dallas decided not to tender him a contract.
For Edmonton, the most relevant development is on the bench, where Ryan Marsh will not be part of the organization going forward after taking an assistant coaching job with Shanghai in the KHL. It is another reminder that the Oilers summer is not only about roster questions, but also about how much turnover they will have around the team behind the scenes before training camp gets underway. [Read more 🡒]