Player Discussion Addressing the goaltending

[Ritchie Valens]

*preface: I didn't see a similar thread anywhere so if I missed it, mods please delete this one.

The black hole on the team is goaltending, that much is obvious. Most nights 4 or 5 goals is usually enough to get at least one point and this is two games in short order where they've come up with 0.

This season really has Holland bent over a barrel with the two week quarantine period if he acquires any goalie from a US based team. Nobody on a Canadian team is selling a division rival a goalie and anything better than what the Oilers have isn't for sale anyways.

So, that leaves him looking to the US. He's really in a bad spot because if he does nothing, it's a bad choice. If he trades for a goalie but is forced to leave Koskinen or Smith as the sole starter for two weeks (if one is actually dealt) and the team falters, he made a bad choice.

If you were in Holland's position and you made the choice to trade for a goalie, would you go after a goalie under contract for another 2+ seasons or would you put a Band-Aid on it for this season hope for the best and go after a UFA goalie?

Here is a link to all UFA goalies for this season: 2021 NHL Free Agents Tracker

There are some intriguing UFA options like Mrazek and Grubauer (both 29 years old) along with Tukka Rask. Although he has tons of miles on him, he's still a great goalie.

In the trade thread, some posters would sell the farm, machinery and all the livestock for Gibson. He's signed for 6 more seasons at a $6.4 million caphit. After this season, he has a modified no trade clause which kicks in so similar to the PK Subban trade, the Ducks would have to trade him to the Oilers before he has the option to nix it. The question is why would Anaheim even think of trading him.

Next is Kuemper. He is signed until the end of next season at a $4.5 caphit. Arizona is currently third in their division so again, why would they trade their goaltender, despite not having any draft picks?

Looking at goalie stats for those who have played at least 6 games and might be available, there really is nothing out there that is an upgrade so maybe Holland should stand pat.

This isn't a thread to complain about Holland not addressing the goaltending in the past offseason. He reached out to multiple goalies who all took more money than what the Oilers cap would allow, thanks to the other guy.

I just want to know who and/or how Holland should address it with reasonable targets, if at all considering what may be available out there.

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[BoldNewLettuce]

Whatever happened to Oscar Danske?

 

[McMozesmadness]

I'd be all in for Kuemper. Just entering his prime. Western Canadian kid. Likely re-signs.

What would it cost? I'm really not sure. The Yotes love him. That org is a mess though. I think we can pry him out of there

 

[Canovin]

Darcy Kuemper. Affordable and young enough to still give the Oilers 5 years window

 

[Soundwave]

Kuemper should be an Oiler already, Holland screwed the pooch by not being aggressive enough in targeting him in the off season.

Now Arizona is no rush to move him.

 

[Broberg Speed]

This is the topic du jour but even with a Vezina candidate this club is far away from being a contender.

 

[Canovin]

This is the topic du jour but even with a Vezina candidate this club is far away from being a contender.

With a vezina goalie, the Oilers can beat any team on any given night. They make winnable games winnable

 

[Wretched Oil]

It seems like we should have fired the goalie coach a while ago, at least as a scapegoat

 

[Dr Awesome]

Whatever happened to Oscar Danske?

Third string in Vegas

 

[AddyTheWrath]

Trade:

Ideal (1st rd pick ++) - Gibson
Preferred (1st rd pick +) - Kuemper
Decent (1st rd pick or lower) - Georgiev, Merzlikins/Korpisalo
Poor (mid rd pick) - Bernier, Mrazek, Reimer *

FA:

Tier 1 - Grubauer, Andersen
Tier 2 - Raanta, Rask, Binnington
Tier 3 - Halak, Dubnyk, Ullmark
Tier 100 - Smith

*UFA at end of season

^ My thoughts anyway - I think everything else being equal I'd target Gibson or Kuemper, with a UFA goalie like Grubauer being the fall back option.

 

[voxel]

We tried signing Markstrom this offseason but honestly that would have been a clusterf**k of cap hell. We would have to dump cap and not have signed Barrie... probably would have lost this year's first at least to nuke Kosko.

 

[voxel]

Trade:

Ideal (1st rd pick ++) - Gibson
Preferred (1st rd pick +) - Kuemper
Decent (1st rd pick or lower) - Georgiev, Merzlikins/Korpisalo
Poor (mid rd pick) - Bernier, Mrazek, Reimer *

FA:

Tier 1 - Grubauer, Andersen
Tier 2 - Raanta, Rask, Binnington
Tier 3 - Halak, Dubnyk, Ullmark
Tier 100 - Smith

*both UFA at end of season

Georgiev is garbage. Merzlikins/Korpisalo >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Georgiev.

Georgiev is Kosko level.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

Georgiev is garbage. Merzlikins/Korpisalo >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Georgiev.

Georgiev is Kosko level.

Really? His career save pct is .912 and he's been hovering around a .910 every season other than the current one. It's not like the Rangers are a defensive juggernaut either.

 

[McShogun99]

With a vezina goalie, the Oilers can beat any team on any given night. They make winnable games winnable

Look at Winnipeg. That’s a team that’s a mess defensively and they compete for a playoff spot because of their goaltending. We beat them 8-2 last night of the goaltending situation was reversed.

 

[gordonhught]

Option 1 or 2.

Standing pat is no longer an option.

The team looks really good. Don't blow it by not addressing the goaltending.

 

[joestevens29]

It seems like we should have fired the goalie coach a while ago, at least as a scapegoat

I feel like they are keeping him as he is the goalie coach for Carter Hart and he's the next best thing since Carey Price according to some.

 

[Messrules11]

I’d start with Vegas, they have two starters and we have none. I believe Fleury has a 10 team no trade list and we’re probably on it but we also have McDrai, not saying he’ll wave but it’s worth a shot.

 

[Broberg Speed]

With a vezina goalie, the Oilers can beat any team on any given night. They make winnable games winnable

I don't believe so. We need many substantial upgrades including goaltending for that to be true. This is not a good hockey team. Remember we are competing in the North division.

Even if we have the assets to trade our way to become a good club I don't have the confidence in management to make these trades. Needless to say we don't have a bunch of draft picks at our disposal.

 

[ujju2]

I think the only way we're fixing our situation in net is through trade, so I'm leaning option 1. John Gibson is of course the absolute dream, but Kuemper or someone similar is much more likely.

 

[ujju2]

Really? His career save pct is .912 and he's been hovering around a .910 every season other than the current one. It's not like the Rangers are a defensive juggernaut either.

That sounds about Kosko level...

 

[joestevens29]

I’d start with Vegas, they have two starters and we have none. I believe Fleury has a 10 team no trade list and we’re probably on it but we also have McDrai, not saying he’ll wave but it’s worth a shot.

I see a few issues with Fleury.

1. Vegas can't afford to move him right now. Lehner is playing like shit and apparently out of shape.
2. At 7mil I don't know that I'd even want Fleury who himself is absolute garbage depending what year it is. With our defensive play I don't think he'd be much better than what we have in the long run.
3. Does Vegas want to trade to a team that is probably in their division next year?
4. NTC.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

That sounds about Kosko level...

True but I actually think having 2 Koskinen level goalies would be fine. Not ideal for sure but the acquisition cost would be lower.

I don't think a career .912 is "garbage" though. Especially for a 25 year old.

 

[DropTheGloves]

At this very moment, Holland has three options:

-Contact a rebuilding team (OTT, DET, NSH, NJD, BUF, LA) and make a deal for a rental
-Contact a team headed out of or into a rebuid (NYR, PIT, MIN, SJS, ANH) and deal for a rental OR longer-term solution
-Contact a playoff-level team with an entrenched starter and try to trade for a promising younger goalie in the org (MON, NYI, STL, ARI)

1. Contact a Rebuilding Team

This is the path of least resistance, but it also offers the least upside. Bernier, Rinne and Ullmark all have varying levels of ability and pedigree but all have their drawbacks. There are secondary options in this group but probably nothing better than what we have (Hogberg anyone?). Still, the three mentioned here are worth trying for a low enough cost.

2. Contact a Team Exiting/Entering a Rebuild

Obviously the younger and more promising you go, the more expensive it gets. But NYR (Georgiev) PIT (Jarry) SJS (Dubnyk) MIN (Talbot) and ANH (Gibson) offer different options at different price points. This tier is where I think the "best" goalie probably comes from, since it's a good blend between cost and opportunity/upside.

3. Contact a Playoff-Level Team

This one is harder, because the cost is higher and so is the risk. Can we pry Primeau out of Montreal? Is there a path to Sorokin with Varlamov signed for so long and doing so well? St. Louis will also either have to make a big investment in Binnington or go with a younger tandem in Husso/Hofer. In any case, you're trying to force a team to trade you something they may not want to, so it has to be worth it. There's also Arizona's crowded crease with Raanta/Kuemper/Hill all having interesting things on their resumes that make each worth calling about. In any case, probably not cheap, but could bear the biggest fruit.

Just within these three tiers, there are 12 different goalies who I think can improve the team to varying degrees. Depending on the contract it's also possible we can roll with that goalie plus Koskinen and Smith, which is probably the safest way to hedge our bets. But I don't want to hear that there isn't a way to improve in net. Holland not doing so would be him deciding not to do so, and should mean the end of his Oilers career pretty much immediately.

 

[ujju2]

True but I actually think having 2 Koskinen level goalies would be fine. Not ideal for sure but the acquisition cost would be lower.

I don't think a career .912 is "garbage" though. Especially for a 25 year old.

I disagree on the bolded. Smith is pretty much a Kosko-level goalie imo. It's not working out real well for us. And maybe this shouldn't be a consideration, but I started watching the Oilers in around 2010 and in the past 11 years we've had solid goaltending for maybe a combined 2.5 seasons (Scrivens for half a season, Talbot for a season, and maybe Smith/Kosko last season). I want to see this team with a legitimate #1 goalie.

 

[voxel]

Really? His career save pct is .912 and he's been hovering around a .910 every season other than the current one. It's not like the Rangers are a defensive juggernaut either.

Neither are we. Shesty is the elite goaltender. The other guy is just a career backup.