Which Goalie Trade Talk Is More Than Just Noise?
The goalie trade chatter you should actually believe...
The NHL’s goalie market is starting to boil, and while most of the names floating around have been connected to the Edmonton Oilers, the conversation about goaltenders and trades is what we’re really focused on.
With multiple big-name netminders potentially out there — whether that be Edmonton or not — which goalie trade talk actually has traction? Let’s break down the names generating real heat — and separate noise from the speculation that has legs.
Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard: The Rumors With the Most Smoke
The talk around Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard has escalated in recent days, culminating in an 8-3 loss to the Dallas Stars that left the Edmonton Oilers searching for answers. Elliotte Friedman’s latest 32 Thoughts made it clear: Edmonton’s long-standing stance of “make their goaltending work” may be over.
Skinner’s affordable $2.6 million cap hit once made him part of a cost-effective tandem. Now, after another rough start and the team’s inability to string two strong games together in a row, insiders are openly questioning whether a clean break would benefit everyone. The low point was when he was told by a reporter that fans no longer wanted him and “That must hurt.”
There’s talk about both Skinner and Pickard, and if I had to make a bet, it’s that, interestingly, Pickard is the piece that moves.
TSN’s Ryan Rishaug suggested Skinner might not finish the season in Edmonton, and that may be true. However, there was real talk that Pickard thought he was gone when the Oilers played the Tampa Bay Lightning, and that performance saved his job, for the time being. He conducted an interview with Kyle Bukauskas and said he started that game with the feeling it could be his last in an Oilers’ uniform.
Skinner is the piece that has to go to make the money work if Edmonton is looking to make a lateral move or pick up a netminder with a higher salary. Pickard is the goalie who is easy to demote.
Neither is asking out, but that hasn’t slowed speculation.
Jordan Binnington: Blues Ready to Make Changes?
No name has been linked to Edmonton more aggressively than Jordan Binnington. He also gets a lot of talk in general because he’s pegged to play for Team Canada.
