NHL Trade Rumors: Edmonton Oilers eyeing all three Canadiens goaltenders

The Edmonton Oilers are intensifying their search for goaltending support, with recent reports indicating a keen interest in Montreal's netminders.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, during the "Saturday Headlines" segment on Hockey Night in Canada, revealed that the Oilers are actively exploring the goaltender market and have set their sights on all three of Montreal's goalies.

Friedman stated,

"The Oilers do continue to look at the goaltender market. Edmonton is looking at all three of Montreal's goaltenders. I don't believe there is anything imminent there. I just think it's the Oilers continuing to do their due diligence. They are determined to not make a panic trade that they will regret."

The Edmonton Oilers, currently 5-10-1 and coming off a 6-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, are navigating a goaltending situation with Jack Campbell in the AHL after being placed on waivers.

Stuart Skinner has assumed the starting role, backed up by Calvin Pickard, who last played in the NHL during the 2021-22 season.

Despite Skinner's commendable performance with a 2.86 goals-against average and.907 save percentage in 12 appearances, the Oilers remain vigilant in bolstering their goaltending depth.

The team, under new head coach Kris Knoblauch, is focused on avoiding a hasty trade but acknowledges the need for strategic improvements.

As the Edmonton Oilers continue their quest for stability between the pipes, the scrutiny intensifies with each loss, emphasizing the importance of a measured and calculated approach in addressing their goaltending concerns.

Edmonton Oilers fall short in Tampa: Missed opportunities and defensive lapses highlighted

In a game that slipped through their grasp, the Edmonton Oilers missed a golden opportunity to extend their winning streak to four games, ultimately falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite leading 3-2 after two periods, the Edmonton Oilers failed to secure the win either by tightening up defensively or engaging in a high-scoring battle.

Zach Hyman acknowledged the team's historical ability to win high-scoring games but emphasized the need to adapt to tighter contests this season. He stated to SportsNet,

"We've been a team in the past that's been able to win those six and seven-goal games. Obviously, this year that's not happening. So we have to win the tighter games. That’s where we’re at."

Two-goal scorer Derek Ryan expressed disappointment in the team's inability to lock down the lead in the third period, saying,

"Definitely one that we should have had. I definitely agree with that. Going into the third period (up 3-2), we’ve got to be able to lock that down and win that game."

Head coach Kris Knobklauch lamented the team's handling of the lead in the third period, stating,

"In the third period, I didn't like how we handled having the lead. Their forwards getting behind our defencemen, and our forwards not protecting them as well as we should have. It could have been a different game."

When asked about the preference between a better defensive effort or more goals from the power play, Knobklauch said that he would like to see both happen.