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Could the Oilers bring in Sergei Bobrovsky this summer?
The Edmonton Oilers made a notable move this season when they acquired goaltender Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a multi-player deal. The expectation was that Jarry would give the Oilers a much-needed upgrade at their starting goalie position. Instead, Jarry has struggled mightily in Edmonton.
In 19 games since joining the Oilers, Jarry has a disastrous .858 save percentage and 3.86 goals-against average. This led Jarry to lose the Oilers’ starting job to Connor Ingram down the stretch, which is certainly not what Edmonton was hoping for when they acquired him from Pittsburgh. This is especially so when noting that Jarry had a 9-3-1 record, a .909 save percentage, and a 2.66 goals-against average in 14 games for the Penguins before the trade.
With Jarry not looking to be the answer for the Oilers’ goaltending issues, they very well could look to add a new goalie again during the offseason. Because of this, they are now being connected to this year’s top pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) goaltender.
Edmonton Oilers Named Potential Free-Agent Destination for Star Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Lyle Richardson took a look at a handful of potential free-agent landing spots for Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. With the Oilers’ goaltending struggling, Richardson understandably named them among the potential free-agent destinations for Jarry.
“The Oilers have $16.7 million in projected cap space for next season with 15 active roster players (including their core talent) under contract. What better way to address their goaltending issues than by signing the goaltender who stymied them in the last two Stanley Cup Finals,” Richardson wrote.
With the Oilers needing help between the pipes, Bobrovsky would certainly be a good goalie for them to bring in. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner would give the Oilers a star to work with in goal and would make Edmonton an incredibly difficult team to beat next season if signed.
Bobrovsky is having a down year for the Panthers, though, as he has a 27-22-1 record but also an .878 save percentage. However, when noting that Bobrovsky led the Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and 2025 and has an incredible resume, it is hard to bet against him bouncing back next season. Thus, it would make a lot of sense for the Oilers to try to lure the two-time Vezina Trophy winner to Edmonton if he hits the free-agent market this offseason.
Oilers Would Need to Convince Bobrovsky to Give Edmonton a Chance
While the Oilers undoubtedly stand out as a prime fit for Bobrovsky, the Pacific Division club would need to do some serious convincing to land him. As Richardson noted, Bobrovsky had the Oilers on his no-trade list this season.
“Granted, this is a long shot given that the Edmonton Oilers were reportedly among the teams on Bobrovsky’s no-trade list. However, he could have a different opinion if he can’t find more suitable free-agent destinations this summer,” Richardson wrote.
While Bobrovsky was against being dealt to the Oilers this season, it is fair to wonder if he would be open to joining them this summer if the Panthers don’t bring him back. Joining Edmonton would allow him the opportunity to join another contender and play with two of the best hockey players in the world, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Michael DeRosa Michael covers the NHL for Heavy.com. He has professionally covered the NHL since 2017 and has written for other publications like The Hockey News, BetMGM, Athlon Sports, and The Hockey Writers. More about Michael DeRosa
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