According to the Edmonton Oilers’ Twitter account, the team has activated the newly acquired Al Montoya from the injured reserved and have also placed Laurent Brossoit on waivers.

In a move that should surprise no one (trade aside), the Oilers have activated their shiny new (slightly used) backup goalie off the injured reserve and have placed Laurent Brossoit on waivers to clear the required space. For Brossoit, the news that he’s going back to Bakersfield (if unclaimed) has to feel like a kick to the pills. The guy was living his dream for 41 games and earning an NHL paycheque, only to have it disappear in a flash. That said, results matter.

While Brossoit certainly hasn’t been a show stopper between the pipes, and I think he’d probably admit that too, the move is still confusing considering that Al Montoya’s stats are actually worse than LB’s this season. Clearly, Chiarelli is betting on a rebound. Historically, Montoya has a track record of providing some adequate backup goaltending but was that worth giving up assets to acquire? And with an extra year remaining on his contract, Montoya looks like he will be slotted in as the backup for next season as well. So what does that mean for Brossoit? Are we giving up on him? Was the Ladi Smid trade all for not?

The organization will say that they need Brossoit to get some playing time (which is true) but to pick up a 32-year-old backup with another year left on his deal makes this a head scratcher. Goalies with comparable numbers tend to hit the waiver wire quite frequently so you have to wonder why make this trade now? At face value, this seems like a lateral move with an added risk of losing Brossoit to a waiver claim, albeit unlikely. In the end, Chiarelli must value Montoya’s track record as a proven, veteran backup goaltender more than allowing Brossoit to work through the issues of a young goaltender.

Will the bet pay off? The Montoya era could start as early as tomorrow so I guess we’ll see.