In case you somehow haven’t noticed, the Edmonton Oilers’ goalie tandem has not looked good to start the season. Through 19 games, Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have now combined for an .863 SV% and a 3.42 GAA.

Of course, this is nothing new. For years now, fans have been screaming at Oilers brass to get serious about improving their situation in between the pipes, especially as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl hit what could be the prime of their careers. While there hasn’t been much action in that department, it seems like this year the team is at least looking around.

But for now, that’s probably as far as it will go. This week on Oilers Now, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that while General Manager Stan Bowman has kept an eye out for what may be available on the goaltending market, he ultimately feels the price is too high to pay right now.

Given Edmonton’s well-documented goaltending woes and the lack of available talent on the block, it’s hardly news that if they’re serious about upgrading their crease, it’s going to cost them big time. Teams across the NHL are well aware of the Oilers’ growing desperation and are certain to ask a king’s ransom for any goaltender of value. Right now, it looks like Bowman is not willing to make that happen.

On the other hand, there is also a cost of doing nothing. The Edmonton Oilers have reached back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals with no hardware to show for it, and their lack of a cemented number-one goalie is a big reason for that. McDavid’s prolonged contract drama showed he won’t put up with it much longer, and he even took a historically team-friendly deal to help make it happen. As they currently sit just outside a wild-card spot through nearly a quarter of the season, it’s clear this setup won’t carry them to a Cup, barring a miracle.

Bowman has sniffed around and feels the cost of what’s out there is more than Edmonton can give up right now. But if Edmonton’s goaltending continues to look how it has so far this season, he may soon be left with no choice.