Frederik Andersen just went from trying to stop Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to watching them do their thing in practice. And he’s not exactly pretending it’ll be easy.
The veteran goaltender signed with the Edmonton Oilers in free agency after the Carolina Hurricanes let him walk. He helped Carolina win the Stanley Cup, but when Brandon Bussi took over in the Cup Final, Andersen became expendable. Still, he’s got a ring. Now he wants another one in Edmonton.
Talking to SportsNet, Andersen didn’t sugarcoat what it’s like facing two of the best players in the world.
“They’ve made me and the rest of the league look silly a lot… but now it’s just going to be in practice,” Andersen said.
It’s not like Andersen has been terrible against Edmonton. Far from it. In 26 career starts versus the Oilers, he’s got a 19-3-3 record with a .920 save percentage and a 2.36 goals-against average. Those numbers are legit. But if you dig into the 2025-26 season specifically, you’ll see why the quote hits different.
In their first meeting last season, McDavid and Draisaitl absolutely torched him. Draisaitl finished with a goal and two assists. McDavid had two goals and an assist. The kicker? Draisaitl ended it 19 seconds into overtime off a feed from McDavid. That’s the kind of stuff that sticks in a goalie’s memory.
The second meeting went better for Andersen. Carolina won 6-3. McDavid and Draisaitl each got an assist but combined for only two shots. So it’s not like Andersen can’t beat them. He just knows what he’s signing up for.
A rough regular season, but a different goalie in the playoffs
Andersen’s 2025-26 regular season was the worst of his career. He went 16-14-5 with a 3.05 goals-against average and an .874 save percentage. Those numbers scream backup, not starter. But hockey is weird like that. When the playoffs started, Andersen flipped a switch.
He went 13-2 with a 1.89 GAA and a .910 save percentage. That’s elite. That’s the version of Andersen the Oilers are betting on.
Edmonton’s goaltending has been a problem for years. They’ve tried everything — big names, journeymen, prospects. Nothing stuck. Now they’re hoping that Andersen’s postseason magic carries over into a full season playing behind McDavid and Draisaitl. Because if it does, the Oilers might finally have the netminder they’ve been missing.
Andersen’s playoff run with Carolina wasn’t a fluke. He’s done this before. The question is whether he can sustain it over 82 games when he’s not getting the same defensive structure he had in Carolina. Edmonton plays a more open, high-event game. That means more odd-man rushes, more cross-ice seams, more chances for Andersen to look silly again — but this time in practice, not against McDavid and Draisaitl.
He’ll take that trade-off.
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