Amid a week where smoke has billowed from the stove of Edmonton about a potential goaltending trade, some of that timber is being held back from further ignition.

As the Oilers continue to evaluate their goaltenders — Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard — with more than a few goaltenders available on the market, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman threw cold water on the idea that Skinner had requested a trade.

“Skinner has not asked out — that did not happen,” said Friedman during a Headlines segment on Saturday night’s broadcast. “I think a couple people wondered if that happened this week, it did not happen.”

Friedman went on to applaud Skinner, who has had his name in the rumour mill for weeks, for attending the Oilers autograph session earlier this week, before adding that the team has no desire to make a “lateral move,” or a move just for the sake of making the move.

“The Oilers have made enough calls, and teams call you when you’re going through a bad week,” he said. “You know the teams out there that kind of have extra goalies or goalies that are willing to move, like Columbus, Buffalo, Pittsburgh.

“And what I can tell is that Edmonton’s position has not changed at all. They are not going to do it just to do it. They are not going to do what they believe is a lateral move. They would rather make no move than what they think would be a bad move or a panic move or a move just to do it.”

It may not be what a contingent of Oilers fans have hoped for as the desire for a goaltending move to be made, but it does line up with what’s been a consistent message from the front office, even with rumours of trades for Jordan Binnington and Tristan Jarry that arrived this week.

Earlier this week, it was reported by Frank Seravalli that he believes that the team wants to give Skinner and Pickard more runway until Christmas before a move is to be made, even though the team considered waiving Pickard and calling up Connor Ingram during their seven-game road trip.

Meanwhile, who could be available in the goaltending market is taking better shape. As Friedman reported, teams like the Columbus Blue Jackets, Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins are among the teams who could have a goaltender available.

Another team in the Chicago Blackhawks will be one to watch, though, as Laurent Brossoit is making his return after missing the last year and half, Friedman reported Saturday.

“He’s going to play next week in the American Hockey League on a conditioning stint,” said Friedman. “He’s a member of the Chicago Blackhawks. He hasn’t played in a year and a half. He got hurt in the 2024 playoffs and hasn’t played since.

“But the Blackhawks have given teams permission to talk to him, him. So you can understand what his situation is, what the exact surgery was, what the process is back and the Blackhawks don’t really have room for him.”

Skinner posting a shutout in the Oilers’ 4-0 win over the Seattle Kraken Saturday afternoon will surely dissipate some of smoke around the team, but any further losses will surely rekindle the flames.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.