EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers added some blue line help and forward toughness before the NHL trade deadline, but general manager Stan Bowman admits the team's goaltending remains a popular subject for debate.
"It's definitely a hot topic,” Bowman said post-trade deadline on Friday. “I think our goalies didn't get out of the gate strong, but we're trying to not put so much pressure on them so that they have to save games for us."
The Oilers will lean on netminders Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard heading into what they hope is another deep playoff run.
If Edmonton needed — or wanted — to find someone new between the pipes, it likely wouldn’t have waited until deadline day, when the Oilers had less to offer on the trading block.
The Oilers bolstered their blue line late Thursday night, acquiring Jake Walman from the San Jose Sharks for forward Carl Berglund and a conditional first-round pick in 2026.
Edmonton also added forwards Trent Frederic and Max Jones from the Boston Bruins in a three-team trade with the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.
“Walman’s a really big upgrade for our group,” Bowman said. “Frederic or Jones, those guys have a different skill set, and I think it's something that we've been lacking, and as a result, it was an important piece for us to address that.”
Walman has a career-high 32 points (six goals, 26 assists) in 50 games this season.
He’s a left-shot defenceman, but could be deployed on the right side beside Darnell Nurse, who hasn’t had a consistent partner all season.
“I love his skill set. He's six-one, almost 220 pounds. He's strong and he can skate, makes plays very competitive,” Bowman said. “He doesn't play a passive game. He's involved in the game. I think our forwards are going to enjoy playing with him, whether he's a left or a right.”
Jones picked up an assist in his successful Oilers debut, a 3-2 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, and could help a bottom-six in need of speed and physicality.
“Evander (Kane), with Jones and Frederic are a handful to handle in a playoff series. I expect them to all be there, making a difference,” Bowman said.
Jones knows he wasn’t brought to Edmonton to score goals, but after Thursday’s thriller where he quieted some doubts about his NHL readiness, he probably could.
“We knew he was going to add some speed, some physicality to our team, something we felt that we needed,” said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch.
Are Walman, Jones and Frederic worth two years of the Oilers having no first-rounders and only three draft picks (third, sixth, and seventh) in 2025?
“I don't want to give the impression of the future doesn't matter,” Bowman said, before adding: “There was no hesitation to trade first round picks or prospects.
“We're clearly not a team that's looking to build and be better three years from now. The present is what matters with this group.”
The Oilers are in win-now mode, and problems in 2027 seem to matter less and less than chasing the Stanley Cup this spring.
The Oilers, however, held on to two of their most valuable prospects: Matthew Savoie, of American Hockey League affiliate Bakersfield, and London Knights forward Sam O’Reilly.
Bowman was confident he wanted to keep both players within his organization.
“They've both had tremendous seasons,” he said. “To see (Savoie) grow as a player, I think he's a guy that's going to be a factor for us for many years. I love his attitude, and I think he's just going to keep improving.
“And Sam is obviously still in Junior, but he's had a great year as well. Very encouraging to see where he is after just one year of development, and excited to keep working with him.”
As for Kane, the Oilers announced Friday he will remain on long-term injured reserve for the remainder of the regular season.
The decision means Kane's US$5.125-million salary will not count against the Oilers' cap, a move that was expected after the trade for Walman.
Walman is in the second season of a three-year contract with an average annual salary of $3.4 million.
Edmonton was second in the Pacific Division standings heading into Friday's action.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2025.
Caprice St. Pierre, The Canadian Press
