Pagnotta: Oilers haven’t ‘heavily explored’ goalie market beyond ‘just checking in’

All the talk about the Edmonton Oilers examining options to improve their goaltending may have been more smoke than fire.

This, at least, is according to The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, who was on Sportsnet 960’s Big Show Thursday, talking about the Oilers’ off-season.

And while he felt the team was still a Stanley Cup contender heading into this season, he said that beyond checking in on John Gibson prior to the Anaheim Ducks trading him to Detroit, the organization hasn’t done much work.

“If you believe them, you believe Stan Bowman and management, they’ve remained consistent in their messaging going back to the season, or back to the trade deadline, that they are fully confident in Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. I think they re-engaged before Anaheim traded John Gibson to Detroit to at least see what the price tag was, if it changed at all. They’re up against the cap, so they feel they’d rather allocate their funds elsewhere than having to adjust the goaltending.

Other than an inquiry to Boston, I think in November with respect to Jeremy Swayman, I haven’t really gotten the sense that they’ve heavily explored the goalie market, other than just checking in and doing what they’re supposed to be doing and seeing what the market place is like.

But unless something comes out of left field, and the messaging is a facade, they’re going to run it back with their goaltending tandem and hope Stu comes into the season another highly motivated player with a big chip on his shoulder after back-to-back losses in the Final.”

Before the off-season really kicked off, two of the top options for the Oilers, Gibson and St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer, were swept off the market. Gibson was moved to Detroit, while the Blues re-signed Hofer.

News of the Oilers likely running it back with Skinner and Pickard shouldn’t come as that big of a surprise. Bowman, after all, indicated the team was comfortable with the idea prior to free agency opening.

Oilers fans will surely be disappointed with Pagnotta’s report of the team tepidly checking in on the goaltending market this summer. The market has been clamouring for change in some way, and maybe the fact the team is set to replace Dustin Schwartz helps unlock something for the team.