Rumours link Tuukka Rask to Oilers

Tuukka Rask might have made it clear he would prefer to play for the Boston Bruins, however the free agent might get an offer from another team that he simply cannot refuse as a free agent.

As you know, Rask continues to recover from offseason hip surgery in preparation for what he hopes will be a 15th NHL season. While he said more than once that his preference is to re-sign with the Bruins, with whom he spent his whole career, it seems like it is not a Bruins or Bust situation, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman:

“I don’t think it’s Boston or bust. At least that’s not the information that I’ve heard,” Friedman said on The Jeff Marek Show. “I’ve just heard the Bruins remain his No. 1 priority. Now, we’ll see what happens, but that’s just what I’ve heard.”

This prompted Marek to suggest that the Edmonton Oilers could approach the free agent goalie with an offer as the team makes sense for the veteran player.

The Oilers are off to a great start as we know how Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are doing all they can to push the team as contenders. However, goaltending has been an obvious question for many seasons now, especially with sidelined Mike Smith who’s been out since mid-October.

Mikko Koskinen has been the team’s starter in his absence, but often struggles with consistency. You have to admit that adding Rask to the roster would be an upgrade over both Smith and Koskinen and could transform the Oilers into real contenders, despite Stuart Skinner being sensational at the moment. 

We get that there is quite a way between Edmonton and Boston, though the Oilers could come in with a more interesting offer… Rask has cited his family and their roots established here in Boston as the reason for not wanting to play for another team, but he is also looking for a Stanley Cup and McDavid and Draisaitl could surely get him to accomplish that dream. Especially if the Bruins decide that they’re better off with a Jeremy Swayman-Linus Ullmark tandem.

And who knows - maybe more teams will get in the mix in 2022 as Rask looks to return to action. So, will it be Boston, Edmonton or even somewhere else where Rask sees the potential of hoisting the Stanley Cup?