Nathan Smith
The Edmonton Oilers have been in the market for a goaltender over the past few seasons, but to this point, they’ve struggled to upgrade at their biggest position of need. After flaming out in the first-round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, this should be their biggest focus in the summer, but already, they’ve lost out on a potential upgrade.
On Tuesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs made the first big trade of the off-season, as they officially dealt Joseph Woll to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Samuel Ersson, a 24-year-old prospect and a third-round draft pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft. While the Oilers may not have wanted Woll at that price, it’s one less goaltender on the market for the Oilers now as they continue their search for an upgrade.
Today, we’ll take a look at that search and name three goaltenders the Oilers could look to acquire as they continue their pursuit of a Stanley Cup behind captain Connor McDavid.
Samuel Montembeault
Over the past two years heading into 2025/26, Samuel Montembeault posted a save percentage at .902 and a 2.98 GAA for the Montreal Canadiens, but in that time, his job as the starter has quickly been taken from him by the young duo of Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler. At 29-years-old, Montembeault still has a lot of years ahead of him in the NHL, and after finishing out the 2025/26 campaign with the Laval Rocket in the AHL, he’s likely to be dealt this off-season.
While Edmonton would love to hold out for a player like Connor Hellebuyck, that’s an unlikely pickup for the Oilers, and in Montembeault, they could get a player with 231 games of NHL experience under his belt already. Sure, the 3.23 GAA and .896 save percentage from this past season may worry GM Stan Bowman, but with little draft capital to spare and a need to make change this off-season, Montembeault would be a great target for the Oilers.
Devin Cooley
In terms of high-risk, high-cost, high-reward, there’s no player available that fits the bill more for the Edmonton Oilers than Calgary Flames backup Devin Cooley. In 2025/26, Cooley had a career year, posting a 2.69 GAA and a .909 save percentage across 31 games played.
While Cooley is a late bloomer, he is still just 29, and after breaking out, he signed a very cheap deal, but with the Flames looking to rebuild, they may try cash in on that for future assets. Obviously, given that it’s the two teams in the Battle of Alberta rivalry involved, this wouldn’t be as cheap as if the Flames dealt him to another team, but if the Oilers want to go for a high-reward move, Cooley could be just that if they can stomach making a trade with their provincial rival.
Jordan Binnington
Over the past 18 months, the Edmonton Oilers have constantly been linked to the Stanley Cup winning Jordan Binnington, and while the Blues have been reluctant to move him thus far, they may have changed their tune following a disappointing campaign in 2025/26. While he’s unlikeable to many, it’s hard to deny that when the lights are on bright, Binnington is a winner, and after failing in back-to-back Stanley Cup Final series, that is exactly what the Oilers need.
It’s unclear right now if Binnington truly is available, but with the Blues having Joel Hofer as a backup and looking to move towards the future, 32-year-old Binnington is a match made in haven for Edmonton. Out of all of these players though, Binnington will be the most expensive, and while it won’t be an easy deal for GM Stan Bowman to get over the edge, if this team is serious about a Stanley Cup, Binnington is the player they need to target.
