Goalies the Oilers could target on the trade market this off-season

The Edmonton Oilers need to address their goaltending situation this offseason.

Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of good options in free agency, with Jake Allen and Alex Lyon being the notable standouts on the unrestricted free agent market. The Oilers can’t offer sheet anyone as they don’t have any of their picks until the sixth round.

That leaves the Oilers with one option – acquiring a starting-calibre goaltender through trade. Let’s take a look at five goaltenders the Oilers could target from around the league.

John Gibson

Anaheim Ducks’ netminder John Gibson was linked to the Oilers throughout the season. In November, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported that Gibson would consider waiving his no-move clause to join the Oilers. Toward the trade deadline, it was reported that Gibson had (has?) interest in joining the Oilers if he is their starter.

The Oilers ultimately stuck with Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner, making it all the way to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final despite a sub-900 save percentage. It’s hard to blame the Oilers’ defeat all on Skinner and Pickard, but it’s one of many “what ifs”.

Shockingly, Gibson’s name has been in the rumour mill, as The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported on Sportsnet 960 that the Ducks would be open to retaining a portion of Gibson’s contract.

Simply put, there are better options on the market. At one point, Mackenzie Blackwood was available, but the Colorado Avalanche pounced on that. Even now, there are better and cheaper options.

Last season, Gibson had a .912 save percentage and 2.73 goals against average in just 29 games with the Ducks, posting an 11-11-2 record. Good enough, right? Well, this was Gibson’s first season with a save percentage above .905. His advanced stats aren’t too encouraging either, as he had a -60.8 goals saved above expected from 2019-20 until 2023-24.

Add the fact that he has two seasons left at $6.4 million a season and dealt with injuries last season, and you have a recipe for disaster. The Ducks may be looking to ship off Gibson because of Lukáš Dostál, a 25-year-old restricted free agent who is ready to start the majority of the Ducks’ games.

Joey Daccord

Another goaltender in the Pacific Division could be a better option for the Oilers. Seattle Kraken’s Joey Daccord is a 28-year-old netminder who has quietly put up good numbers over the last two seasons. In 2023-24, he played 50 games with a .916 save percentage, and followed that up with a .906 save percentage and 2.73 goals against average in 57 games this season. It’s worth noting that Daccord had a .911 save percentage before his final three games, during which he allowed six or more goals in two of the three games.

Despite a lower save percentage than Gibson’s, Daccord’s underlying stats are far more encouraging, as he had a 19.1 Goals Saved Above Expected, higher than Gibson’s 15.3 GSAE.

That said, Daccord will cost more in terms of assets as the Kraken don’t have a young emerging netminder like the Ducks do. Moreover, Daccord signed a five-year, $25 million deal early in the 2024-25 season.

Thatcher Demko

It’s been a tough 15 months for Thatcher Demko. Toward the end of the 2023-24 season, he went down with a knee injury, tried to return for the first game of the postseason, and didn’t play another game until December 10.

Demko didn’t perform well when healthy, as he had an .889 save percentage and 2.90 goals against average in 23 games, with a 10-8-3 record. That said, Demko had a .918 save percentage and 2.45 goals against average in 51 games last season, earning a Vezina Trophy nomination. He finished with a 22 GSAE in 2023-24, the second-best total behind Connor Hellebuyck.

In 2024-25, the Vancouver Canucks turned to Kevin Lankinen, whose strong play earned him a five-year, $22.5 million deal. The Canucks also have Artūrs Šilovs, who has an incredible .931 save percentage and 2.01 in the American Hockey League postseason.

The 2025-26 season will be Demko’s final in his five-year, $25 million deal. He earns $5 million a season, but the Canucks may think it’s better to shed his cap to improve their roster, even if it means trading Demko to a Pacific Division rival.