Maybe there was more to the Edmonton Oilers’ decision to bring in three goaltenders for next season than meets the eye.

And after general manager Stan Bowman spoke with Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer, it made much more sense.

“It’s not a new injury,” he said of goaltender Frederik Andersen’s ailment that will keep him out of training camp, and the early part of the season. “I think it’s a situation where sometimes with these things, you’re hopiong that you don’t need any type of procedure.

“And sometimes, there’s a lot of injuries in hockey where you can take a conservative approach for a certain amount of time hoping that that’s enough.”

That’s what Andersen was hopeful for, too, telling members of the media not long after he signed a one-year deal with the team on July 1 that rest was what he needed following a “tweaked” knee.

“Sometimes, when that isn’t enough, then you don’t wait forever for that to be the case,” added Bowman. “But I think that was part of our game plan going in, knowing that he is a bit older, and he’s had a few injuries before.

“We weren’t expecting him to carry the big load all year. So we have (Tristan) Jarry and we have Devon Levi as well. They’re both gonna be guys getting a great opportunity here starting the year.”

Bowman went on to say that Andersen is expected to miss more time than winger Matt Savoie, who the club announced in August had suffered an injury during offseason training, and that the team isn’t likely to bring in any more goaltenders to the organization at this time.

When it comes to Savoie, Bowman said, the team is still optimistic for him to play a big role on the team this year.

“He was on track having a good summer, and then something came up that needed to be taken care of,” Bowman said of the winger. “That’s unfortunate, but it does happen.

“Fortunately, it’s nothing too serious, and Matt’s goigng to be a big part of our team this year, and just getting a littler later start than some guys.”

Bowman wouldn’t put a firm timeline on how long Savoie will miss — despite a report suggesting late October — saying they’ll find out more as he continues to progress through his rehab.

“(He’s in) the beginning stages now,” said Bowman. “He’s not skating or anything, so I always like to be cautious not to make predictions.

“I’m not a doctor, first of all, and then you don’t really know until they get into their sort of rehab skating portion to see if they’re on track, ahead of schedule, a little bit behind — but no, this is not something that’s gonna sideline him for weeks and weeks.”

Zach Laing is Daily Faceoff Edmonton’s managing editor and The Nation Network’s news director. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.

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