Following yet another Stanley Cup Final loss, Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers can’t help but wonder how different things might be with a different goaltending room. It might be entirely counterfactual, but it’s still a hot topic in Alberta. Now, reports around the NHL hint the organization missed out on a former teammate of Brad Marchand on the Boston Bruins.
Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have been on the eye of the storm all summer long. After the defeat to the Florida Panthers, fans in Edmonton expect changes, and they hope it starts in net. The clock is ticking ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season.
Many feel the front office wronged the roster with their decision at the crease. That sentiment only increased after reports indicated the Oilers could’ve traded for Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman, or even Linus Ullmark, last offseason—back when Marchand was still captain in Boston.
“Did they miss out on Swayman or Ullmark?,” Pierre McGuire said on The Sheet with Jeff Marek. “It was volatile beyond belief with what was going on with the goaltending situation there. I just wonder if they didn’t miss out on hitting a homerun with Boston to solidify their goaltending.”
Jeremy Swayman #1 of the Boston Bruins against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on April 08, 2025.
Now, the only way of acquiring Swayman is through a trade. But even that will be difficult as the goaltender signed an eight-year, $66 million extension with the Bruins. The deal with the Spoked B includes a full no-movement clause (NMC). However, it will turn into a modified no-trade clause (M-NTC) with a 10-team approved trade list in 2029.
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Won’t take long
While fans hope to see changes in net, there is another issue that holds priority in Edmonton. McDavid remains unsigned through the 2025-26 NHL season, and that matter can’t wait any longer. Just in time to calm the anxiety, Oilers CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson made something clear.
“There’s a sort of comfort with Connor [McDavid]. He’s been in Edmonton for 10 years, he loves playing for this team. The team is a good team. I think the conversation would be a lot different if we were struggling,” Jeff Jackson said, via On the Road with Jeff Marek.
“We’ve been right there for two seasons in a row. So, Connor feels good about all that. It’s not going to be a long negotiation. It will be unlike any other negotiation, because it’s not really [one]. I think that when Connor is ready, we’ll have the discussion and we’ll get a deal done.”
Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 Honda NHL All-Star Game in Toronto, Ontario.
Give us your best shot
While the Oilers have openly shown willingness to explore the goaltending market in the NHL, they are apparently giving Skinner another chance to redeem himself.
“The best way to avoid expensive deadlines? Grow your own players,” The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell said. “Bowman appears to be giving Skinner, on the final year of his value contract, a ‘stand and deliver’ opportunity.“
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Skinner is entering the final season of his three-year, $7.8 million contract with McDavid’s Oilers. With Edmonton eyeing a new beginning in net, Skinner could benefit from a change of scenery as well.
