The Edmonton Oilers are one piece away. Everyone knows what that piece is. After a heart-wrenching run to the Stanley Cup Final, the elephant in the room isn’t just sitting there; it’s blocking the net. The Oilers need a legitimate, bona fide number-one goaltender if they ever want to see Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl lift that trophy. With the free-agent market looking thin, GM Stan Bowman might have to get creative.
Enter the latest buzz, a name that will make some fans nervous and others intrigued: Alexandar Georgiev.
Yes, that Alexandar Georgiev. The one whose recent performance with the Colorado Avalanche was, to put it mildly, a roller coaster that ended at the bottom of the hill. Sportsnet’s Luke Fox floated the idea, and let’s be honest, it makes a certain kind of desperate sense. This isn’t about finding a perfect goalie; it’s about finding a goalie who has proven he can handle the one thing Edmonton desperately needs: a massive workload.
Can a Change of Scenery Revive the Former Wins Leader?
Let’s not forget who Georgiev was just before this past season’s decline. In 2022-23 and 2023-24, the man was an absolute workhorse for a legitimate contender in Colorado. He played in 62 and 63 games, respectively. More importantly, he won. A lot. His 40 wins in 2022-23 tied for the league lead, and his 38 wins the next season led the NHL outright. He became only the fourth goalie in NHL history to lead the league in wins in back-to-back seasons.
You don’t just fluke your way into those kinds of numbers. That demonstrates a durability and a capacity to grind out victories over an 82-game marathon. The Oilers haven’t had that kind of stability in the crease in years. The obvious red flag is his “precipitous decline” last season. His save percentage and goals-against average ballooned, and he looked shaky in San Jose. But was that the player, or the situation? Sometimes a goalie who has played that much hockey just needs a reset.
The Verdict: A Gamble Worth Taking for Edmonton?
Here’s my take: this is the exact kind of high-risk, high-reward bet a team in Edmonton’s position should be considering. They don’t have the cap space to sign a premier, top-tier UFA goalie (if one even existed on the market). Georgiev, at 29 years old, is a prime bounce-back candidate. His value is at an all-time low, meaning the Oilers could potentially sign him to a team-friendly “prove-it” deal.
If he can find even 90% of the form that saw him lead the league in wins, playing behind the most potent offense in the NHL, he could absolutely be the missing piece. It’s a gamble, no question. But with McDavid’s prime window starting to close, standing pat is a bigger gamble than betting on talent. The latest Alexandar Georgiev news might just be the spark that ignites a championship fire in Edmonton.
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