It is not a secret that one of the Edmonton Oilers‘ top goals of the offseason should to improve their goaltending depth. Tristan Jarry struggled immensely with the Oilers after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins during this past season. Meanwhile, Connor Ingram is a pending UFA who could end up testing the market next week.
With questions continuing to surround the Oilers’ goaltending, they are now being connected to an intriguing one from the Boston Bruins.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Allan Mitchell named Bruins goaltender Michael DiPietro as a trade target who the Oilers should consider making a push for.
“The Bruins appear set in goal without DiPietro. The Oilers might be able to grab a better goaltender (based on AHL performance) than Levi or Cossa with a draft pick as the asset cost. In a season when the cap will be tight, taking a chance on DiPietro seems a reasonable bet. He has a solid resume,” Mitchell wrote.
With the Oilers needing goalie help, DiPietro would be an interesting goalie for them to take a chance on. The 27-year-old netminder is still looking to cement himself as an NHL goalie but has been blocked from Boston’s roster for the last two seasons due to Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo. With this, it could be wise to the Oilers to kick tires on the Bruins goalie this summer.
DiPietro Would Give the Oilers a Goalie Who Has Dominated the AHL
When looking at the numbers that DiPietro has put up with the Providence Bruins in recent years, it is fair to argue that he has been dominant. During this past season with Providence, he had a 34-8-1 record, a .930 save percentage, and a 1.91 goals-against average. This was after the 2017 third-round pick had a 26-8-5 record, a .927 save percentage, and a 2.05 goals-against average during the 2024-25 campaign. These numbers could very well get the Oilers’ attention.
Due to his stellar play, DiPietro has been named the AHL’s Goalie of the Year over each of the last two seasons with Providence. With that, it is clear that the Windsor, Ontario native has shown a lot of promise at the AHL level and should be ready to make the jump to the NHL level. Perhaps he could take that next step if he got traded to a team that needs goalie help like the Oilers.
DiPietro Trade Makes Sense for Oilers Under One Circumstance
If the Oilers were to acquire DiPietro, it should be only under the expectation that he will be their backup goalie. While the 6-foot netminder has been excellent at the AHL level, he has only four games of NHL experience. Expecting him to immediately step in and be the Oilers’ answer between the pipes would be unrealistic.
However, if the Oilers brought in DiPietro to be their backup, it could be worth some real consideration. In this situation, the Oilers should still be looking to find a true No. 1 goalie to replace Jarry, but DiPietro could be a solid goalie for Edmonton to add for more depth.
Oilers Urged to Make Trade for Bruins Surging Goalie Prospect