Stan Bowman was active in the goaltending market last week, acquiring Tristan Jarry, but the Edmonton Oilers’ general manager may not be done yet. Bowman is still looking to improve his backup situation, and that addition could be Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon.

Jeff Marek speculated on Oilersnation Everyday Wednesday that Edmonton should show interest in the 33-year-old goaltender, who signed with Buffalo this past summer for $1.5 million.

The Sabres have operated with a three-goalie rotation for most of the season, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (26) and Colten Ellis (25) also manning the crease. Additionally, they have Devon Levi (23) in the minors, who they acquired in the Sam Reinhart trade in 2021.

“I really do wonder about Alex Lyon and the Edmonton Oilers,” Marek said on Oilersnation Everyday. “This has shades of Colorado last year written all over it.

“That one — Lyon to Edmonton — feels like it would make sense for both sides. A) Buffalo wants to solve its problem. B) Edmonton is still looking for another netminder.”

Jarmo Kekäläinen is now in charge in Buffalo after the team fired Kevyn Adams earlier this week, and the crowded crease isn’t something he’ll want to carry forward. Lindy Ruff also commented on the situation after the Sabres were forced to send down rookie forward Noah Östlund due to roster limitations.

Lyon is the oldest of the group, but he currently leads the way statistically. He’s played the most games this season with 17 and holds a .905 save percentage and a 2.99 goals-against average. Lyon’s NHL career began in 2017, and he has appeared in 130 games since. However, it wasn’t until the 2022–23 season with the Florida Panthers that he truly established himself.

A miracle run at the end of that season helped push Florida into the postseason, and Lyon appeared in four playoff games on the way to the Stanley Cup Final. He moved on from the Panthers that summer and has since averaged a 2.96 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage across 91 games split between Detroit and Buffalo.

This wouldn’t be a difficult trade for Edmonton to pull off. Colorado made a similar move last season, acquiring Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators. Wedgewood, who also carried a $1.5 million cap hit, was acquired for backup goaltender Justus Annunen and a sixth-round pick.

“Mattias Janmark would have some trade protection — maybe David Tomášek or Kasperi Kapanen,” Marek continued on Oilersnation Everyday. “If you want to trade for him, you can make the money work. The question is whether you want to let go of any of those players.”

I don’t foresee Buffalo having much interest in Calvin Pickard, but Bowman could potentially increase the pick value to get a deal over the line. The cap mechanics are fairly straightforward as well. Edmonton would need to find Pickard a new home — potentially Bakersfield — and send down a recent call-up to make it work.

It’s become clear that Bowman and the Oilers have had enough of the goaltending uncertainty. They explored sending Pickard down before the Tampa Bay game, then moved on from Skinner, and now have interest in Lyon. They’ve fully embraced the Colorado Avalanche model — and in this case, it’s the right approach.