Frederik Andersen has handed Mike Babcock an early crease problem after suffering an injury during offseason training.
Connor McDavid and the team thought they were finally going to get #97 a legitmate goaltender to backstop a struggling-in-goal Oilers team.
The Edmonton Oilers are not expecting Andersen to be ready for training camp, leaving their biggest offseason addition sidelined before he can even battle for starts.
Edmonton has not disclosed the nature of the injury or set a return date. That uncertainty matters with camp approaching and the club trying to settle its goaltending picture.
Andersen arrived after spending last season with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he appeared in 35 regular-season games and posted an .874 save percentage.
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The Oilers finished 2025-26 at 41-30-11, good for 93 points, but their work in the crease remained one of the roster's pressure points.
Andersen carries a $2,750,000 cap hit, making his availability more than a depth concern for a team that brought him in to strengthen the position.
Mike Babcock faces an early decision in net
With Andersen unavailable for the start of camp, Mike Babcock may have to lean more heavily on Tristan Jarry while Edmonton evaluates its other options.
Devon Levi also enters the picture with a bigger opportunity than originally expected. Every practice and preseason start now carries more weight until Andersen's status becomes clearer.
The timing is especially frustrating because Andersen was supposed to give Edmonton another experienced option instead of forcing the coaching staff into an early adjustment.
His durability will draw attention too. Andersen missed time late in Carolina's Stanley Cup run before changing teams during the offseason.
Edmonton can't control when he returns, but the club can control how aggressively it tests the rest of the crease during camp.
That puts immediate pressure on Jarry and Levi to give Babcock dependable alternatives rather than simply holding the spot until Andersen is cleared.
The Oilers wanted more stability in goal. Instead, before the first puck has dropped at camp, one of their key additions has already created a lineup question they hoped to avoid.
Should the Oilers add another goalie if Frederik Andersen misses opening night?
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