The Edmonton Oilers face one of their most important offseasons in recent memory this summer. After reaching the Stanley Cup finals in 2024 and 2025, the club failed to make it out of the first round of the most recent playoffs. The regression was certainly noticeable within the organization. In fact, superstar center Connor McDavid labeled his team as “average” following the early postseason exit.
The remark only adds fuel to the fire regarding McDavid’s future with the Oilers. It was revealed in March that the star could contemplate his situation in Edmonton. McDavid would have to officially ask to be traded because he has two more years remaining on his $12.5 million AAV contract. Because the Oilers want to appease McDavid, they have to strengthen the roster this summer.
While there are several holes in Edmonton’s roster, the goalkeeper situation is likely the biggest area of concern. The Oilers finished the 2025-26 campaign with a disappointing 3.23 goals allowed per game average. This figure was the eighth-worst average among NHL teams. As far as the goalies are concerned, Edmonton’s netminders averaged a combined .879 save rate (tied for fifth-worst in the league).
Because of the situation, The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell recently named a few potential goalie trade targets for the Oilers. Leading the list was Minnesota Wild standout Filip Gustavsson. The Swede was previously the undisputed starter between the pipes for Minnesota. However, star rookie Jesper Wallstedt has received more playing time in the current playoffs. As a result, Gustavsson may look for a way out this summer.
Edmonton Oilers Could Take Advantage of Filip Gustavsson’s Precarious Situation
GettyFilip Gustavsson would be a stellar acquisition for the Edmonton Oilers.
Gustavsson was seemingly not exactly thrilled to have lost his starting job to the rookie. In fact, The Athletic recently tried asking the goalie about the situation during the first round of the playoffs. Nevertheless, Gustavsson declined a conversation by stating, “Talk to the players who are playing.”
Since then, Wild head coach John Hynes reinstated Gustavsson between the pipes on May 5, but it remains to be seen who Minnesota will go with for the remainder of their run. The Wild are currently down two games to none against the Colorado Avalanche.
Despite being overlooked to start the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, Gustavsson posted impressive numbers on the season. His .904 save percentage and 2.69 GAA were both inside the top 20 among all NHL goalies. The Edmonton Oilers would love to have a player like this in their net.
Edmonton GM Claims He Will Fix Goalie Issue
Because Minnesota is a contender in the competitive Western Conference, they will likely want impact players in return for Gustavsson. This is, of course, assuming the Wild would even be open to trading away the star. This could be a significant issue for the Edmonton Oilers. Nevertheless, general manager Stan Bowman has pledged to improve the position this summer.
Gustavsson only just signed a five-year, $34 million contract ($6.8 million AAV) with Minnesota in October. Edmonton could have trouble affording the netminder’s cap hit at the moment. According to PuckPedia, the Oilers have around $16 million in cap space but have eight roster spots open. However, the club would do well to offload some players who are not earning their significant salaries to help facilitate a big trade.
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