The Edmonton Oilers, fresh off another heartbreaking Stanley Cup Final loss, are facing a familiar demon: the question mark in the crease. While Stuart Skinner showed flashes of brilliance, his inconsistency in the playoffs has once again ignited the debate in Oil Country. General Manager Stan Bowman, never one to sit on his hands, is reportedly scouring the league for a long-term solution. The initial target, the Detroit Red Wings’ top prospect Trey Augustine, was quickly declared a “non-starter,” forcing the Oilers to cast a wider net. The market is thin, but there are intriguing names bubbling just beneath the surface. Let’s break down the potential targets who could be the answer to Edmonton’s goaltending prayers.
The AHL Dominator: Michael DiPietro
If the Oilers are looking for a goalie who has nothing left to prove in the minors, Michael DiPietro’s name should be circled in red on their white board. The 26-year-old has been a man amongst boys in the American Hockey League, posting a sparkling .927 save percentage over 40 games last season with the Providence Bruins – the third-best mark in the entire league. This wasn’t a flash in the pan either; the season prior, he had a 2.51 GAA and .918 SV% in 30 games. The consensus around the league is that DiPietro is “absolutely ready for the NHL.”
So, why is he available? It’s a classic case of a numbers game in Boston. The Bruins are committed to the tandem of Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo for the foreseeable future. With both signed for at least the next three seasons, DiPietro is the odd man out. He’s also eligible for waivers, and there’s a snowball’s chance in a heatwave that a goalie with his AHL resume would clear. Every team with a pulse and a goalie need would be putting in a claim, and the Oilers are low on the waiver priority list.
This means a trade is the only realistic path to acquiring DiPietro. The Oilers would likely have to wait until the end of training camp, when the Bruins are forced to make a final decision on their roster. The price would be a mid-round pick, a reasonable cost for a goalie who could step in and immediately handle a 30-35 game workload. DiPietro is on the first year of a two-year deal before he becomes an unrestricted free agent, giving the Oilers a two-year window to see if he’s the long-term solution they’ve been searching for. He is, without a doubt, the most NHL-ready option on this list.
The Red Wing Redemption: Sebastian Cossa
After being stonewalled in their pursuit of Augustine, it appears the Red Wings may have softened their stance on another one of their top goalie prospects: Sebastian Cossa. While Augustine is the shiny new toy, Cossa, a former first-round pick, has been quietly developing in the AHL. At 22 years old, he’s put together two very respectable seasons in Grand Rapids, with a save percentage of .911 or better in over 40 games each year. He even got his first taste of NHL action last season.
Cossa presents a different kind of opportunity than DiPietro. He’s younger, with more team control (he’s an RFA after this season), which is a huge plus for an Oilers team that will be facing a salary cap crunch in the coming years. The question is, is he ready for a full-time backup role in the NHL? The jury is still out. While his AHL numbers are solid, there’s a big jump to the bright lights of the NHL, especially in a hockey-mad market like Edmonton.
The Red Wings are in a position of strength here. They don’t have to trade Cossa, but with Augustine in the system, they might be willing to listen if the offer is right. The Oilers would likely have to part with a significant asset, perhaps a high-end prospect or a roster player, to get a deal done. It’s a riskier move than acquiring DiPietro, but the potential payoff is much higher. If Cossa can translate his AHL success to the NHL, he could be the Oilers’ starting goalie for the next decade.
The Wild Card: Erik Portillo
Every goalie search has a dark horse candidate, and for the Oilers, that might be Erik Portillo. The “massive” 24-year-old is a bit of an unknown commodity, but he has the raw tools to be a star. Originally a Buffalo Sabres draft pick, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings after it became clear he was blocked by Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi.
Portillo’s path has been a bit more winding than the other goalies on this list. He had a strong collegiate career and has shown flashes of brilliance in the AHL, but he also had his struggles last season. However, he did play one NHL game last year and looked very good. He’s considered to be on the cusp of being NHL-ready, but he’s not quite at the level of DiPietro.
The situation in Los Angeles is a complicated one. The Kings have Darcy Kuemper and the recently signed Anton Forsberg locked in for the next two seasons, with Pheonix Copley as their third-stringer. They also have Carter George, arguably Canada’s top goalie prospect, turning pro this year. That’s a lot of bodies in the crease, and Portillo could be the one to get squeezed out. He’s signed for two more years before becoming an RFA, which gives a potential acquiring team some cost certainty. The asking price for Portillo would likely be lower than for Cossa, making him a more affordable gamble for the Oilers. He’s a high-upside, high-risk proposition, but one that could pay huge dividends if he reaches his full potential.
The Longshot: Devon Levi
This one falls squarely into the “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” category. Devon Levi was once considered one of the top goalie prospects in the world, but his first two professional seasons have been a rollercoaster. He’s bounced between the NHL and AHL, and has yet to find his footing at the top level. It’s important to remember, however, that he’s been playing behind a young, and often porous, Buffalo Sabres team.
The Sabres’ crease is a bit of a logjam at the moment. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had a bounce-back year last season, and they just signed veteran Alex Lyon to a two-year deal. If Luukkonen can prove that last season wasn’t a fluke, the Sabres might be willing to entertain offers for Levi. The asking price would still be high – you don’t give up on a goalie with Levi’s pedigree for cheap – but it might be a price worth paying for the Oilers.
The intriguing thing about a potential Levi trade is the fit in Edmonton. The Oilers, for all their faults, are a much better defensive team than the Sabres. The analytics back this up. A change of scenery, and a move to a more structured team, could be exactly what Levi needs to unlock his full potential. It’s a longshot, but if Stan Bowman is feeling bold, a move for Levi could be the kind of high-risk, high-reward move that wins you a Stanley Cup.
The Oilers have options, but none of them are perfect. Do they go for the sure thing in DiPietro, the high-upside prospect in Cossa, the wild card in Portillo, or do they swing for the fences with Levi? The decision they make in the coming weeks could have a major impact on their championship aspirations for years to come. One thing is for sure: the heat is on in Edmonton, and the pressure to find the right man for the net has never been higher.
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