The rumour mill is spinning fast in Edmonton on Monday.
Reports surfaced about the team potentially looking to move winger Viktor Arvidsson and his recently discovered no-movement clause as conversations continued about Evander Kane, who appears determined to play regular season games ahead of the playoffs.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise the Oilers are active ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline. They made some significant changes in the offseason, many of which haven’t worked out well, and while the Oilers as a whole are still in a good place with the eighth best record in the league, but their last nine games have been poor, going 3-6 with the third worst record in the league since the start of February.
One area of concern for the team has been their goaltending, costing the team far more than its helped them. Rumours around acquiring a goaltender has been loud from the fan base, but Oilers general manager Stan Bowman cooled them last week.
The trade markets change fast at this time of year, and that’s what happened over the weekend when the Chicago Blackhawks traded Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers. The key cog in the return back to the Windy City was goaltender Spencer Knight coming back, one of the top young goaltenders in the league.
It’s created a log jam in the Blackhawks’ crease with 34-year-old veteran Petr Mrazek and another young goaltender in 25-year-old Arvid Soderblom. So much so that Mrazek could virtually be had for free, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli said on Monday’s edition of the DFO Rundown.
Obviously now a crowded crease for Chicago. They’ve got to make a move, I think. They’re going to try to this week with Petr Mrazek to flip him somewhere. I don’t think they’re looking for much in return, quite honestly, I don’t even know if they’re looking for anything at all. It’s not a cap thing. You look at Mrazek, just a victim of circumstances here.I’m wondering if there’s a playoff team *ahem* Edmonton, that could use a guy that’s not going to have an acquisition cost. You just have to pay the third party broker to chop his pay in half. Get him down to $2.75 then you have him for next year as well. I know his numbers aren’t pretty this year, but he started out the year well and his numbers last year were excellent. I think he’s a pretty reliable bet for one more year at $2.75. I’m not saying just Edmonton, I’m making the same argument for Carolina or somewhere else.
Mrazek is in the first year of a two-year deal with the Blackhawks, making $4.25-million. His numbers haven’t been great this season with a 10-19-2 record, .890 save percentage and 3.46 goals against average, but isn’t far removed from a solid 2023-24 season, going 18-31-4 with a .907 save percentage and 3.05 goals against average.
Numbers wise he hasn’t been stronger than either Pickard or Skinner, but Mrazek has had strong games against playoff teams this season. Against teams in a playoff spot heading into Monday’s games, he’s gone 7-12-1 with a .904 save percentage and a 3.09 goals against average, but he’s struggled against teams out of a playoff spot, going 3-9-1 with a .847 save percentage and a 4.06 goals against average.
You can see to the full episode of the DFO Rundown on YouTube.
Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.
Canadian Premiere of Ukrainian Hockey Documentary in Edmonton, March 10
The Canadian premiere screening of the documentary “UKE: The Untold Story of Hockey Legends” takes place at Ford Hall in Edmonton’s Rogers Place on
Monday, March 10, 2025. The film screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the film’s director Volodymyr Mula and broadcaster Kelly Hrudey.
The film highlights the enduring legacy of over 50 NHL champions of Ukrainian descent—more than any other nationality outside North America. Through rare footage, personal interviews, and gripping storytelling, “UKE” sheds light on the lives of legendary players such as Johnny Bucyk, Ken Daneyko, and Ruslan Fedotenko, revealing their connection to Ukraine and their lasting influence on the world of hockey.
Tickets and event information at www.ukrfolk.ca, Tickets include delicious Ukrainian food!
