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Insider proposes blockbuster shift in goal for the Oilers.
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Insider proposes blockbuster shift in goal for the Oilers.

An Edmonton Oilers reporter has proposed a blockbuster scenario that even he admits is a bit of a long shot.

Jonathan Larivee

In spite of the fact that they boast some of the most talented players in the world on their current roster, the Edmonton Oilers once again fell short of their goal of capturing the Stanley Cup in 2023.

There are of course a number of factors that you could point to when searching for reasons as to why the Oilers came up short this time around, but one of the consistent refrains about this team has been the lack of consistency that they have managed to find between the pipes.

It is true that goaltender Stuart Skinner stepped up admirably this season for the Oilers in spite of the fact that Jack Campbell was expected to be the starter, but Stuart would falter down the stretch finishing with a 3.68 goals against average and a .883 save percentage in the Oilers' most recent playoff run.

The Oilers' options to improve at the position will be limited however with both Skinner and Campbell under contract for next season, but recently one Oilers insider proposed a wild scenario in which the Oilers could do just that all the while cutting costs in the process. That scenario comes to us courtesy of Oilers insider Jonathan Willis, who proposed a scenario in which the Oilers would buyout goaltender Jack Campbell before pulling the trigger on a huge trade with the Winnipeg Jets for goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.

While Willis himself admits that he doesn't expect we would ever actually see such a move, it would result in a cap savings of $400,000 for the Oilers this season while also giving them a big upgrade at the goaltending position. The problem of course is that there will be a ton of suitors for Hellebuyck's services this summer and that means that the price for the star netminder is likely to be astronomical, especially if the Jets are being asked to retain salary.

It would be an exciting scenario to see such a massive trade between a pair of Canadian rivals, but it definitely seems like a long shot to say the least. Willis believes we are more likely to see the Oilers stick with Campbell for now, and deal him in a retained salary trade of their own at some point further in the future.