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Oilers Eyeing Goalie Trade Splash for Former Vezina Nominee

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Jack Sutherland | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 8:48 AM ET

The Edmonton Oilers, looking to upgrade their goaltending after a 2nd straight SCF loss, could reportedly look to make a major trade with the Vancouver Canucks.

The Edmonton Oilers are once again experiencing the heartache of losing in the Stanley Cup Final, and in a cruel twist of fate, against the exact same opponent as last year.

The Florida Panthers beat the Oilers for their second consecutive Stanley Cup win, doing so in 6 games this time around rather than 7 games like last year.

Just like last year, the Oilers used both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard in goal through the postseason, once again raising questions about the state of their goaltending.

While Skinner managed to deliver a strong performance in both the WCSF and WCF after a horrible start to the postseason against the Los Angeles Kings, both he and Pickard faltered against the Panthers.

Oilers general manager Stan Bowman is going to have to make a major upgrade between the pipes if Edmonton is to finally end their Stanley Cup drought.

Per Travis Yost of TSN, the Oilers could try and convince the Vancouver Canucks to send them goaltender Thatcher Demko while citing that they have both Kevin Lankinen and Arturs Silovs.

Why would Vancouver consider trading Demko to a rival in Edmonton? There are several reasons. Chief among them: Demko's health has not exactly been robust over the years, and the Canucks have both Kevin Lankinen and Arturs Silovs waiting in the wings.
Even with the injury history, a goalie of Demko's calibre will be in high demand, allowing Vancouver to be patient and wait for the right trade return.

Demko would represent a clear and significant upgrade for the Oilers in net, and could be considered worth the risk despite his injury history that has resulted in his seeing limited action in the last year.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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