Edmonton Oilers Talk: Price, Gibson, Husso, Kuemper, and More! Who Will Holland Bring in this Summer?

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Monday Mailbag – Maintaining composure down the stretch

Do you think the way Evander Kane is playing will give him more options than he expected when the season is over or is there a real chance he comes back to the Oilers?

“Kane is going to go where the money and term is even if he really likes playing with the Oilers.” – Brownlee

Brett Kulak seems to be fitting in nicely over his first few games and I wonder if anyone would be interested in trying to extend him provided that the terms are right? Too soon?

“He hasn’t been so good that I’m really itching for the Oilers to bring him back…” – Yaremchuk

Be honest, do you think the Oilers can honestly do something in the playoffs with the goaltending duo we have right now?

“Winning more will require solid play from the goalie.” – Gregor

BLH’s Thoughts: Regarding Kane, Ken Holland has convinced some good players to stick around in tough situations before. I don’t see why this is any different, but that being said, finding the cap room to get him signed is a whole different kit and caboodle.

I think Kulak comes back if the following things happen,

Tyson Barrie is moved without retaining any salary and none coming back.

Kulak’s contract demands are reasonable.

See, I think that Ken Holland is going to want Philip Broberg on the team next season and he can play the right side. I mean, if Kulak doesn’t come back and Barrie can’t be moved or the deal to move him involves money returning, I think Phil’s on the roster next season as it stands.

Kulak is a fine defenseman, but is he what the Oilers need on that third pairing? I feel like this team lacks cycle breakers and some toughness back there.

I think the question should be, can the Oilers clamp down and play a sound all-round defensive game? If they can, we’ll be talking about the goaltending a different way and on top of that, we should be asking if ourselves what would happen if Koskinen or Smith caught fire?

The Hockey Writers

Oilers Need to Be Very Leery of Potential Husso Signing

He has been superb this season, recording a 2.45 GAA along with a .922 SV% through 32 games.
The 27-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and will be looking to cash in thanks to the great season he is having.
Allan Mitchell of The Athletic, he suggested Husso is the best fit of any available goaltenders for the Oilers this summer and believes a potential deal could be $13.5 million over a three-year term, meaning his cap hit would come in at $4.5 million.
One great and recent example of a similar situation is Alex Nedeljkovic, who many believed the Detroit Red Wings stole from the Carolina Hurricanes this past offseason. It did seem odd that, after a rookie season in 2020-21 which saw him named as one of the three finalists for the Calder Trophy, the Hurricanes chose to move him for just Jonathan Bernier and a third-round pick.
Like Husso, Nedeljkovic was very inexperienced, having logged just 29 career games prior to being traded. Now, as a true number one on a significantly bigger contract, he is getting exposed. Through 51 games this season, he has compiled an ugly 3.31 GAA and a .900 SV%.
This upcoming offseason is not a very good one if you are in need of a goaltender, as there are very few available. Darcy Kuemper is the most intriguing, but it is likely that the Colorado Avalanche strike a new deal with him before he hits free agency. There is also Jack Campbell of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but like Husso, he too is inexperienced, and his struggles over the second half of the season have left me quite hesitant.
This team does not have the cap room to make any more mistakes moving forward, and this one is a huge risk given Husso’s inexperience. If he is looking for a deal north of $3 million, then Holland would be far better off exploring the trade market and bringing in a far more proven goaltender.

BLH’s Thoughts: The writer believes that a three year deal worth $4.5M/yr is too much of a risk, but I’ve to be honest, I don’t think that’s much of a risk at all. Sure, there’ll be other netminders available like Kuemper and Campbell but those guys are going to be asking closer to $6M/yr and each have their own warts.

I think Husso’s breaking through right now and it would be a mistake not to take a real run at him.

Now, he could be the next Alex Nedeljkovic, but I think Edmonton’s defense is a little better than Detroit’s or he could be the next Mikka Kiprusoff, who, if you remember, was nothing more than a backup for the Sharks before joining Calgary at the age of 27 and going on an eight year run as one of the best netminders in the NHL in that time.

But in the event Holland misses out on another key free agent goalie, I wonder if there’s a team that would send him a goalie for somebody like Kassian or Barrie. There will be other free agents mind you, like Georgiev out of New York and I’m curious about Mackenzie Blackwood in New Jersey too. Wildcard option, what about Carey Price?

There’s lots to think about, but a good old hockey trade is what it might come down to in Edmonton. Can you imagine if Stu Skinner had a mentor like Price to guide him?

Trade Rumors

Spector’s Hockey: Marco D’Amico wondered if the Canadiens would trade Carey Price if the 34-year-old goaltender returned to play this season and proved healthy enough to continue his career. He cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman making that speculation during a recent “32 Thoughts” podcast, suggesting there’s a chance Price could be playing elsewhere next season.
- The Jets need to ship out one or two veteran defensemen to make room for their promising prospects. Asked about whether the Jets should pursue Dallas Stars blueliner John Klingberg via free agency this summer, Wiebe doesn’t believe he’d be a good fit if the Jets attempt to shed salary from the blueline. The savings should be used to bring in a good middle-six forward.
- Larry Brooks suggested Scheifele could be a doable acquisition for the Rangers as a replacement for Ryan Strome or Andrew Copp if one of them departs via free agency this summer.
The Daily Goal Horn: Sources told The Fourth Period that teams were at least interested in Gibson at the deadline. And why wouldn’t they be?… There are also three or four teams that I could see being in on him. Keep your eyes on the Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, Colorado Avalanche, and Toronto Maple Leafs.

BLH’s Thoughts: This has to be the summer that Ken Holland goes out and gets his no.1. Be that Carey Price, John Gibson, Ville Husso, or Darcy Kuemper, the Oilers have to be heading into 2022/23 where goaltending is the least of the team’s worries.