Rumor: Oilers tried to add a big name goalie add the deadline.

A very interesting report has come from Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman.

While we're going to categorize this as a rumor as there doesn't appear to be any hard evidence here, it certainly looks and sounds like the Edmonton Oilers attempted to make a big move at the deadline, a move that would have secured them a veteran goaltender.

From Friedman(emphasis my own):

Not sure what Edmonton was trying to pursue in moving Andrew Ference’s expiring contract, but it sounds very intriguing. What made things more difficult is that it wasn’t insured, so an acquiring team had to be willing to spend the cash. I do think they took a look at Jaroslav Halak, and it’s possible they talked a Halak/Mark Fayne trade with the Islanders. (Both have one year remaining.) There were probably other parts to that deal, but, whatever the case, it obviously didn’t happen.

It's an indication that while Cam Talbot has been nothing short of excellent for the Oilers, especially considering what they gave up for him, the team feels that a proven veteran couldn't hurt to have in a backup role. 

Talbot has been shouldering one of the most intense workloads in the entire National Hockey League with a massive 57 appearances already this season, and the acquisition of a player like Halak could have lessened that burden. 

It will be interesting to see if the Islanders and Oilers revisit this scenario at either the 2017 NHL Draft or the Expansion Draft.