NHL Rumor Roundup: Could The Oilers Pursue Jordan Binnington Or

Heading into the American Thanksgiving weekend, the Edmonton Oilers were two points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

That’s prompting media conjecture that they could pursue a goaltending upgrade in the trade market.

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Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos claimed “the strongest speculation” tied the Oilers to Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes stated that Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins was among the goalies “drawing significant interest as a potential option” for the Oilers.

Concerns over the performance of goaltenders Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have kept the Oilers in the rumor mill since the regular season began.

One suggestion was that they should attempt to sign Sergei Bobrovsky when the Florida Panthers starter becomes a UFA next July. Apart from the fact that the Panthers will likely re-sign Bobrovsky, waiting until next summer won’t help the Oilers now.

Another proposed that the Oilers pursue Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators. That was assuming Saros would agree to waive his no-movement clause, while ignoring the fact that the Oilers can’t afford his $7.74 million average annual value.

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Kypreos considers Binnington unlikely to be part of any retooling project by the Blues because he has a year left on his contract. As for Jarry, he has three more seasons remaining on his deal. He shares the Penguins’ net with Arturs Silovs, while promising Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist are with their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

As part of the return for Binnington, Kypreos suggested the Oilers send Skinner to St. Louis. He felt they could also try to pry away a defenseman from the Blues. Meanwhile, Weekes pointed out that Jarry played his junior hockey with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings.

David Staples of the Edmonton Journal observed that Binnington carries an average annual value of $6 million while Skinner’s is $2.6 million. He felt it would take a significant…