Oilers land Stanley Cup champion goalie with bold statement move!

The Edmonton Oilers entered free agency with one glaring need that has haunted them for years: finding stability between the pipes. On Day 1 of the 2026 offseason frenzy, they didn't just make one move to address the crease. They made two.

The headline grab came late in the evening when, according to Kevin Weekes, Stanley Cup champion goaltender Frederik Andersen agreed to a one-year contract with Edmonton. The veteran netminder brings a championship pedigree that the Oilers have been sorely lacking in their goaltending rotation. Chris Johnston also confirmed the Oilers' move.

Andersen's most recent contract was a one-year, $2.75 million deal with the Carolina Hurricanes, which carried a cap hit of $2.75 million and expired at the end of the 2025-26 season, when the Canes were crowned Stanley Cup champions.

According to Puck Pedia, the deal comes with a $1M salary. but with significant add-ons:

"Bonuses $1.8M: $600K @ 10GP, 400K @ 20GP, $200K for each playoff round won where he plays 50% of games)
Cap Hit $1M, AAV $2.8M
No Move Clause with 15 Team No Trade List"

That wasn't the only piece of the puzzle the Oilers picked up on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Edmonton completed a trade with the Buffalo Sabres, acquiring 24-year-old goaltender Devon Levi along with a seventh-round pick in 2028. The cost was a third-round selection in the same draft.

Levi spent the bulk of last season with the AHL's Rochester Americans, posting a 23-20-9 record with a .904 save percentage and a 2.83 goals-against average. At the NHL level, Levi holds a career record of 17-17-2 with Buffalo. He is heading into the final year of a two-year deal worth $1.625 million total, carrying an extremely manageable cap hit of just $812,000. He will be a restricted free agent after the 2026-27 season.

The dual acquisitions suggest Edmonton is taking a layered approach to solving its goaltending woes. Andersen provides experienced, battle-tested reliability on a short-term commitment, (and a Stanley Cup championship might I add), while Levi offers upside and cost efficiency as a young option who could develop into something more.

Whether this tandem is the answer remains to be seen. Edmonton has cycled through numerous goaltending solutions in recent years, and the pressure to get it right only intensifies with each passing season.

The Hurricanes confirmed the move by bidding goodbye to Freddie on social media.