The Oilers could hit the trade market this summer in search of goaltending help, while the Sharks have several options that they could pursue with their first-round draft pick.
As the Edmonton Oilers head into the off-season, pundits are examining what led to their early departure from the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Goaltending was a critical factor behind the Oilers' inability to stage another run to the Stanley Cup final. They shipped struggling starter Stuart Skinner to the Pittsburgh Penguins last December for Tristan Jarry, but he was scarcely an improvement.
Two months earlier, the Oilers acquired Connor Ingram from the Utah Mammoth. Ingram did his best, but he's better-suited for a backup role.
Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal observed that Jarry has two more years on his contract with an average annual value of $5.375 million. He also noted that Ingram and fellow backup Calvin Pickard are slated to become UFAs on July 1.
Matheson felt it would be difficult to move Jarry without including a high draft pick or a prospect in the deal, or taking back a bad contract. He believes Ingram could be an affordable re-signing.
If the Oilers manage to move Jarry, who also has a 12-team no-trade list, they must find a suitable replacement. Given the limited options in this summer's free-agent market, they'll have to consider trade options.
Matheson suggested Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues, Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild and Adin Hill of the Vegas Golden Knights as trade options. Meanwhile, Allan Mitchell of The Athletic mentioned Mackenzie Blackwood of the Colorado Avalanche as a possibility.
Landing one of them won't be easy. Gustavsson has a full no-movement clause in his current contract, as well as in his extension. Binnington has a 14-team no-trade list for this season that drops to 10 teams for next season. Hill has a 10-team no-trade list, and Blackwood has a six-team no-trade list.
Matheson's colleague, David Staples, mentioned Oilers insider Bob Stauffer speculating the club could retain Jarry and attempt to acquire a promising young netminder by targeting teams with goalie prospect depth.
Stauffer mentioned an Eastern Conference club but declined to name it. Staples believed he was referring to the Detroit Red Wings, who carry four young goaltending prospects, including Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine.
The Red Wings might be willing to part with one of them, but they could seek a scoring winger or a second-pairing defenseman in return.
Turning to the San Jose Sharks, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News explored the options they have with the second overall pick in this year's draft.
Sharks GM Mike Grier could retain the pick and add another promising youngster to his deep prospect pool. However, Pashelka speculated that he could also peddle that pick for more immediate roster help.
Grier has indicated he's open to moving the pick, but Pashelka believes he'll set a high asking price. He also suggested the Sharks GM could retain that pick, select a winger such as Ivan Stenberg of Frolunda HC, and trade young left winger William Eklund, who lacks no-trade protection.
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