The Edmonton Oilers have a problem between the pipes. Again. And with Connor McDavid entering the final two years of his contract, that problem has never felt more urgent.
After falling short in the 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup Finals — the latter thanks in part to Stuart Skinner’s costly meltdown in Game 6 against Florida — the front office decided it couldn’t wait for Skinner to figure it out. In December, general manager Stan Bowman shipped Skinner and defenseman Brett Kulak to Pittsburgh for Tristan Jarry and Sam Poulin. It was a gamble that hasn’t paid off.
Jarry, waived by the Penguins just a year prior, arrived in Edmonton, got hurt, and then posted a 3.86 GAA and an .857 save percentage before losing the net to Connor Ingram. Pickard is gone. Ingram is an unrestricted free agent on July 1. And Jarry’s $5.375 million cap hit sticks around for two more seasons — the exact same window McDavid has left on his deal. That’s not a recipe for keeping your franchise center happy.
McDavid’s short-term extension was widely interpreted as a message to management: win now, or risk losing the best player on the planet when he hits free agency. A goaltending duo of Jarry and Ingram doesn’t exactly scream championship pedigree.
Enter Jordan Binnington
That brings us to St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington — a name that’s been floating around trade talks for months. Binnington may have just posted the worst statistical season of his career, but he also reminded everyone what he’s capable of when surrounded by elite talent. As McDavid’s teammate on Team Canada during the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Winter Olympics, Binnington was sharp, confident, and clutch.
NHL insider Matt Larkin of The Daily Faceoff recently pointed to Edmonton as the obvious landing spot: “Binnington is coming off the worst season of his career but showed enough at the Olympics to remind us he can be an asset on the right team given his puckhandling and clutch-save ability. Is there enough of a market for him right now? The Edmonton Oilers are the clear team to watch.”
The logic is straightforward: Binnington has already won a Cup. He’s proven he can handle the brightest lights. And with just one year remaining on his contract at a $6 million cap hit, he’s not a long-term commitment — which could be exactly what Edmonton needs right now.
What a Trade Could Look Like
According to league insiders, the Oilers and Blues could orchestrate a deal similar to the recent Flyers–Maple Leafs swap. The centerpiece from Edmonton’s side would likely be the rights to top goaltending prospect Connor Ungar, who could develop behind Joel Hofer — St. Louis’s emerging starter of the future.
To make the numbers work, the Oilers could also throw in their second-round pick (52nd overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft, plus a younger roster player who can contribute immediately for a Blues team that may be looking to retool. Edmonton’s first-round pick this year already belongs to San Jose as part of the Jake Walman trade, so the second-rounder is their most significant draft asset.
For a team that traded futures for a stopgap in Jarry, sending out a prospect who won’t help for years and a mid-round pick feels like a small price to pay for one real shot at stabilizing the goaltending position while McDavid is still in his prime.
The question isn’t whether Edmonton needs an upgrade in net — that’s obvious. The question is whether they’re bold enough to make the move before another summer slips away.
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