Crowded net in Boston may provide a golden opportunity for the Oilers.

After a second straight defeat at the hands of the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final, it was clear to most that the Edmonton Oilers were in desperate need of an upgrade in goal ahead of the 2025-26 National Hockey League regular season. We now find ourselves in the middle of August however and, for one reason or another, Oilers general manager Stan Bowman has yet to address what many believe to be the Oilers most pressing need this summer.

The thought of running it back with both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard is not one that I believe most fans in Edmonton would be comfortable with, but the good news for frustrated fans is that there may be an option out there for the Oilers after all.

The Boston Bruins find themselves with a crowded net after acquiring veteran goaltender Joonas Korpisalo in the trade that sent Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators, and that could mean an opportunity for the Oilers to strike. The Bruins ostensibly have their starting and backup goaltending positions penciled in with Jeremy Swayman expected to hold down the net and Korpisalo expected to once again play the role of backup, which leaves little room for goaltender prospect Mike DiPietro to crack the lineup.

While Mike DiPietro has to prove he is capable of being an NHL goaltender, 3 consecutive standout seasons as a member of the American Hockey League's Providence Bruins means that he is unlikely to clear waivers if sent back down to the AHL this season. Di Pietro is coming off of his best career season in the AHL, one in which he appeared in 40 games and recorded a 2.05 goals against average and a .927 save percentage and was among the AHL's best goaltenders last season.

His lack of NHL experience would make his acquisition a bit of a gamble for the Oilers at this point but it's clear that the Oilers are in desperate need of an upgrade in net and taking a gamble of this nature may be the only realistic chance the Oilers will have at doing so.

As mentioned Di Pietro is unlikely to clear waivers if waived again, but the Oilers may want to offer the Bruins a trade before things reach that point considering that he could be claimed by one of several other NHL teams who are also looking to improve between the pipes. As for the Bruins, it would give them a chance to acquire an asset in return for a player that they could very well risk losing for nothing if they do indeed place him on waivers to start the season.

Should Stan Bowman and the Oilers seriously consider pulling the trigger on a move of this nature? Let me know what you think in the comments.