Report: Oilers exploring options to address goaltending
The Edmonton Oilers are actively seeking an upgrade in goal leading up to March's trade deadline, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."
"They are, according to sources, looking at all (goalie) options across the NHL," LeBrun said.
"For example, we're told they've kicked tires on Joonas Korpisalo in Columbus, who's a pending UFA at the end of the year. They've discussed internally about Anton Khudobin, who, of course, cleared waivers last month."
The Oilers rank 26th in the NHL this season with an all-situations save percentage of .897, according to Evolving-Hockey. Here's a look at how Edmonton's incumbent netminders have fared this season along with the numbers of the two goalies LeBrun mentioned.
| Goalie | Record | Sv% | GSAA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mikko Koskinen | 12-7-1 | .900 | -5.9 |
| Stuart Skinner | 4-6-0 | .907 | -0.8 |
| Mike Smith | 2-2-1 | .898 | -2.4 |
| Korpisalo | 4-7-0 | .882 | -12 |
| Khudobin | 3-4-1 | .879 | -7.2 |
Korpisalo carries a $2.8-million cap hit, while Khudobin is owed $3.3 million per year until 2023, according to Cap Friendly. Edmonton is currently operating with no cap space.
The Oilers are riding a significant slump and sit six points outside of a Western Conference playoff spot with five games in hand. Since the start of December, they rank 31st in the NHL with a 3-10-2 record.