The Edmonton Oilers thought they had finally found a way to stabilize their goaltending.
Two games into the season, that plan already looks like it is falling apart.
Tristan Jarry got the opening-night assignment against the Vancouver Canucks and promptly allowed six goals on 23 shots in a 6-5 overtime loss.
That was bad enough.
Then Edmonton gave Devon Levi his chance Thursday night.
The former Buffalo Sabres goaltender was supposed to benefit from a fresh start in Edmonton after struggling to establish himself in Buffalo. Instead, Levi gave the Oilers another reason to worry.
Edmonton jumped out to an 8-2 lead against Vancouver, only to watch the Canucks score five times in the third period.
Levi stopped just 15 of 22 shots.
The Oilers eventually survived with a 9-7 victory, but that doesn’t make Levi’s performance any better.
It actually makes the situation more concerning.
Edmonton’s three-goalie plan was supposed to buy the team some stability while Frederik Andersen recovered from injury.
Instead, Jarry and Levi have combined to provide very little of it.
Frederik Andersen Will Help the Oilers, But Only So Much
There is still one obvious source of optimism.
Andersen is coming.
Eventually.
The problem is that the Oilers don’t know exactly when.
Andersen is recovering from a knee injury and was considered unlikely to return before December when the season began. He signed a one-year, $1 million contract after winning the Stanley Cup with Carolina last season.
He could absolutely stabilize this situation.
But he cannot be expected to solve it by himself.
Even if Andersen returns in December, there are only roughly 30 games remaining before the end of the regular season. Asking a 36-year-old goaltender coming off a knee injury to carry Edmonton through the entire stretch run would be a dangerous proposition.
That means Jarry and Levi still have to figure this out.
And they have to do it quickly.
Edmonton May Have to Look for Another Goalie Again
This is exactly the scenario Edmonton hoped to avoid.
The Oilers moved on from Stuart Skinner and brought in Jarry, Andersen and Levi in an attempt to finally fix a position that has plagued them for years. Pundits identified the three-goalie rotation as one of Edmonton’s biggest questions entering the season.
Now, after two games, it is arguably an even bigger question.
And suddenly, Skinner doesn’t look quite as bad.
That’s obviously not where Edmonton wanted to be.
Jarry struggled in the opener, while Levi’s first regular-season start for the Oilers turned into a complete mess despite Edmonton’s eventual victory. Meanwhile, Andersen isn’t even close to returning.
The Oilers have time to let this play out.
But they also have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl entering another season in which the expectation is to contend for the Stanley Cup.
They cannot afford to spend another year wondering whether their goaltending is good enough.
If Jarry and Levi don’t improve quickly, Stan Bowman may find himself back in the trade market looking for the answer.
Again.
And after Thursday night, that possibility suddenly feels much more realistic.
Oilers’ Goaltending Plan Already Failing Two Games Into Season