The air in Edmonton is heavy with expectation. After two consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final ended in heartbreak, the Edmonton Oilers enter this season with both urgency and unease. While Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl remain the cornerstones of an elite roster, one question lingers louder than the rest: can the team trust its goaltending when the stakes rise again?
That uncertainty has opened the door to surprising speculation. Though officially retired, three-time Stanley Cup champion Marc-Andre Fleury has been floated as a potential solution. Veteran reporters, including Frank Seravalli and Pierre LeBrun, have suggested that teams are likely to call the 40-year-old netminder, and Edmonton’s win-now window makes it one of the most logical fits.
The whispers intensified when Fleury’s agent, Allan Walsh, dropped a cryptic emoji post online. It was enough to spark debate among fans and insiders: could Fleury be coaxed back to the ice, and would the Oilers be bold enough to make that call?
Could Fleury actually return to solve Edmonton’s goaltending issue?
Adding Marc-Andre Fleury could bring the poise, leadership, and playoff pedigree the Oilers have long lacked between the pipes. As Bleacher Report’s Seravalli put it, “Is this the end? I don’t think it’s the end yet; I have zero doubt…teams will be calling; I have to think one of the teams would be the Edmonton Oilers.” Still, a potential return would demand full commitment from Fleury himself and careful maneuvering around Edmonton’s tight salary cap.
Marc-Andre Fleury with the Penguins arrives for an NHL game on September 27, 2025. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
The pressure is real
Skinner knows the narrative won’t change until he delivers in the playoffs. Entering the final year of his deal, with McDavid’s future also looming, Edmonton cannot afford another season undone by inconsistency in net. A strong campaign could silence outside noise, but another stumble may leave management with little choice but to explore options like Fleury more seriously.
see also
NHL News: Connor McDavid’s Oilers reportedly destined to land Connor Bedard’s Blackhawks castoff
The Oilers open their season with heavy expectations and limited margin for error. Whether Skinner seizes the opportunity or Fleury’s name grows louder in the rumor mill, the goaltending storyline will shape Edmonton’s chase for the Cup.
SurveyCan Stuart Skinner prove he’s the long-term answer in net for Edmonton?
Can Stuart Skinner prove he’s the long-term answer in net for Edmonton?
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