The Edmonton Oilers are looking for ways to maximize the roster while staying under a salary cap that leaves almost no room to maneuver. This week, analyst Jonathan Willis laid out a scenario in which the Oilers could claim Boston Bruins goaltender Michael DiPietro off waivers without needing to move out a big contract.

Edmonton Oilers opening roster outlook

Oilers insider Bob Stauffer recently suggested that the team’s opening-day roster could feature several younger and less-established names. In his view, Matt Savoie, Isaac Howard, David Tomasek, Noah Philp and Alec Regula all have a path to making the lineup.

He also added Vasily Podkolzin and Ty Emberson as players the Oilers will be counting on to develop. For the Oilers, carrying cost-controlled contracts creates flexibility that veterans simply cannot provide, and it gives Edmonton a chance to see who among their prospects can handle the NHL grind.

Moving Oilers around

Jonathan Willis picked up on Stauffer’s point and mapped out how the Oilers could structure the cap if they wanted to take advantage of another opportunity by claiming goaltender Michael DiPietro if Boston puts him on waivers. His math showed that Edmonton could manage such a move by demoting Calvin Pickard and Mattias Janmark, then running with 13 forwards and eight defencemen.

Just for the sake of argument, if the Oilers:
– claimed DiPietro off waivers & demoted Pickard
– demoted Janmark
– went 13F/8D, including all the guys listed below
they’d still have $13K in cap space without putting Hyman on LTIR. https://t.co/nV8tt3iSI6

— Jonathan Willis (@JonathanWillis) September 28, 2025

This would leave the team with only $13K in cap space, but it would still fit under the ceiling without having to place Zach Hyman on long-term injured reserve. He noted that trading Janmark instead of demoting him would clear even more room, though still not much by NHL standards.

“There are other ways to do this too, of course. The most obvious is trading Janmark, which would clear $300K more than demoting him does,” he wrote.

A quick look at Michael DiPietro

DiPietro has been one of the most consistent goaltenders in the AHL over the past two years, posting a .927 save percentage in 40 games for the Providence Bruins last season. At 26, he is seen as someone who could step into the NHL and hold his own.

His contract is also appealing, with two years remaining at only $812.5K per season, which makes him a low-cost bet for a team searching for insurance in net. Boston’s depth chart complicates his path, however. With Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo already signed, the Bruins may very well place DiPietro on waivers. That creates a rare opportunity for other teams, and Edmonton’s tight situation brings up the question of whether they might act.

Oilers trust their veterans

Inside the locker room, there is high value in Pickard’s role as a steady veteran who has earned the trust of his Oilers teammates. Stuart Skinner is locked in as the starter, and the coaching staff believes in him, so any outside addition has to be weighed carefully.

Removing Pickard could unsettle a group that has been clear about its support for him, even if DiPietro’s upside seems higher.

On one side is the idea of adding a proven but still developing goalie like DiPietro to shore up depth in net. On the other side is a push to give younger players a chance and lean on cost-controlled contracts to keep the roster flexible.

Passing on DiPietro could mean leaving a valuable goalie available to rivals, while cutting veterans for prospects could weaken the bottom of the lineup in the short term.

Whether they choose to protect trusted veterans or gamble on goalies with upside, the decision will shape the early part of their season and could reveal the larger direction the club is taking.

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