Andersen Reveals Oilers’ New Thinking About Goalie Workloads

When asked what he thinks of the three-goalie system the Edmonton Oilers are working to implement, Frederik Andersen’s comments were pretty honest. At this stage of his career, he seems comfortable admitting as much. He said: “I’m not trying to be a workhorse, 66-games-every-year goalie anymore, and that’s fine.” The big idea behind the Oilers’ three-goalie rotation is simple. Don’t force one guy to carry the whole load every night, especially with a modern NHL schedule. Everyone plays a lot of games, travel is brutal, and teams want their starters as fresh as possible.

What Does Andersen Think of Playing in a Three-Goalie System?

So what’s “the system” from his angle? It sounds like Edmonton plans to use a rotation in which Andersen, Tristan Jarry, and Devon Levi each get starts. That keeps the goalies sharp and reduces wear and tear. Andersen even frames it as a newer league trend. He thinks that teams have schedules that make “keeping everyone fresh” a bigger deal than it used to be. In other words, it’s not about the Oilers being in panic mode, but rather about “we’re doing this because it helps the whole group perform.”

Why that benefits Andersen so much is pretty direct. He’s admitting his body and career path are better served by managing his workload. He mentions playing 66 consecutive games in the past, but he’s implying that’s behind him now. If you’re a veteran goalie, the upside of a rotation is that you can stay confident and ready without constantly being asked to play through fatigue or minor bumps. The other benefit is rhythm: if the rotation is handled well, every goalie knows they’ll get a chance to play, and they can prepare like a real starter instead of being an occasional backup who’s thrown in at random.