With Jaroslav Halak no longer on a PTO with the Carolina Hurricanes, the veteran netminder has gone how to Boston to reevaluate his options. According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, Halak has started talking to teams, including the Edmonton Oilers. As most fans in Edmonton know, the Oilers need to sort out the goaltending situation, and Halak could be a viable option.
Part of the issue is that Halak would like to jump right into an NHL job. As LeBrun noted:
“The Hurricanes actually had interest in signing him to an NHL contract, but my understanding is it came with the fact that the Hurricanes would have wanted him to have a conditioning stint in the AHL, because Halak hasn’t played in the NHL since last April, and it sounds like that wasn’t too appetizing to Halak, so he was released from his tryout.”
LeBrun asserts that Carolina has not closed the door. In the meantime, his camp has been talking to other teams, including the Oilers.
The Oilers Are Checking Out a Number of Options
LeBrun noted just because the two sides have had brief conversations, it doesn’t mean that anything is imminent. The Oilers are intrigued, “but of course Edmonton has been looking at “every single goalie possibility” says the NHL insider. He adds that fans in Edmonton shouldn’t read too much into that fact a conversation took place. LeBrun says, “but they have talked to him.”
He adds that Halak still thinks he has something to offer. He’s just five wins away from 300 for his NHL career. He wants to go somewhere he’ll have a chance to play this season.
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