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Seravalli: Juuse Saros shouldn’t ‘be the choice’ to solve Oilers’ goaltending woes
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Photo credit: © Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Tyler Kuehl
Nov 12, 2025, 19:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 12, 2025, 17:26 EST
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With the Edmonton Oilers experiencing another slump in the first month of the season, the focus on the team’s roller coaster start has once again been directed at the performance between the pipes.
While the Oilers have started the 2025-26 campaign better than they have in the previous couple of seasons, winning seven of the team’s first 17 contests, there’s concern that the team might be unable to turn things around as it has done, leading to consecutive appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Another focal point of criticism has been the play of goaltender Stuart Skinner. While the Edmonton native has been an important figure in helping the Oilers win back-to-back Western Conference titles, it hasn’t deterred the narrative of his struggles throughout the regular season. It has led many to wonder what the team could do to improve the position and right the ship for a hopeful, positive future.
One goaltender that some have their eyes on is Nashville Predators backstop Juuse Saros. The Finnish goaltender had been a key figure in helping his team make it to the postseason in previous years, and is unquestionably going to be the country’s No. 1 asset heading into the Winter Olympics in February.
That said, his numbers over the past season and change in Smashville have raised some eyebrows, a factoid NHL insider Frank Seravalli brought up in Wednesday’s edition of Frankly Hockey. Seravalli believes that, even if the Oilers want to go out and get a goaltender, Saros might not be the answer to their problems, for multiple reasons.
“I know there’s not a teaming goalie market, but Saros wouldn’t be the choice for me, for a number of reasons. One, he’s in the first year of an eight-year contract that will take him all the way until age 39. Two, his numbers have not been good for two consecutive seasons now…Three, from an overall holistic perspective for a team that doesn’t really have the cap space and hasn’t devoted the cap space to goaltending in a lot of ways, what you have is what you get with Stuart Skinner and what they can afford to pay on their cap the last few years.”
Saros’ eight-year contract extension, which he signed in July 2024, has a cap hit of $7.74 million, with a full no-move clause through the 2032-33 campaign. According to PuckPedia, the Oilers have just a little over $1.6 million in cap space. Not necessarily a solid base to “buy” a new goaltender, even with moving Skinner’s $2.6 million AAV.
Seravalli acknowledges the lack of assets and money in the Oilers’ possession, limiting their options and going out and acquiring outside talent. On top of that, Saros hasn’t really led Nashville to deep playoff runs as Skinner has in recent years.
“As my pal Bob Stauffer pointed out recently on Edmonton Radio, [Skinner] did out-duel Jake Oettinger, unequivocally one of the best goalies in the league, in back-to-back Western Conference Finals…[Saros] had a track record for a long time as one of the best goalies in the league and the backbone of the Preds franchise. But when it comes to his size and ability to win, when it comes to the playoffs, that’s the big question that everyone asks about Saros. Does he make you any more comfortable if you’re an Oiler fan, given the price and the commitment on your cap?”
Comparing the numbers thus far, Skinner has a record of 5-4-3 in 12 starts, with a 2.91 goals-against average, a .884 save percentage, and one shutout. In 14 games, Saros is 5-6-3, with a 3.11 GAA and a .892 SV% on a Predators team that’s near the bottom of the league standings.
The only saving grace for the Oilers, or any team interested in Saros, is that the Preds might have to sweeten the pot to offload his contract, according to Seravalli.
“The Nashville Predators should have to pay you to take on Juuse Saros’ deal, given how much is remaining on it and given how poor the play has been of late.”

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