Oilers News: Edmonton Oilers sign goaltender Matt Tomkins to two-year, $775K AAV contract

Who is Matt Tomkins?

Tompkins is a pure depth move, plain and simple. The 31-year-old goaltender was originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2012, a seventh-round pick. Yes, Stan Bowman and his team drafted Tomkins. He was selected out of the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the AJHL. Yes, he is a local guy having been born in Edmonton. So that’s two for two on connections to the organization for Tomkins.

After spending his draft-plus-one season in the AJHL, Tomkins spent four seasons with Ohio State University in the NCAA before making his professional debut in 2017–18. He split that season between the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL and the Indy Fuel of the ECHL.

He spent four seasons in the Blackhawks organization, never graduating past AHL backup in the depth chart, before going to play in Sweden for two seasons. While in Sweden, Tomkins was chosen to represent Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics and 2022 World Championship, the latter at which he won a silver medal.

Since then, Tomkins has spent two seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, mostly with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. He did make his NHL debut in the 2023–24 season, appearing in six games with the Lightning.

Where will Matt Tomkins fit with the Edmonton Oilers?

As mentioned, Tomkins is purely a depth move. With the other organizational goalies in Samuel Jonsson, Nathaniel Day, and Connor Ungar all being younger prospects unproven at the AHL level, the Oilers will want an experienced netminder to be able to play the bulk of games with the Bakersfield Condors, as well as provide a slightly more trusted option as a third stringer.

Tomkins will not be expected to appear in the NHL unless there is an injury.