Tristan Jarry's opening night has the Oilers crease back under the microscope, and Connor Hellebuyck's name is already floating around Edmonton.
Jarry made 17 saves on 23 shots in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to Vancouver.
That's not all on the goalie. David Staples had the Oilers over-aggressive and out of position on all six goals against.
Still, the Hellebuyck chatter started instantly. One fan voice pushed back hard: "I really don't think the Oilers have the assets to pry Hellebuyck out of Winnipeg."
The same post argued Edmonton just needs a goalie who can deliver around a .905 save percentage consistently. "There's no need to throw everything and the kitchen sink for one guy."
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The obstacles pile up anyway. Winnipeg reportedly has a high bar for any return, and Mike McIntyre doesn't believe the goalie would agree to play in another Canadian market.
A .905 goalie might be all Stan Bowman actually needs
Hellebuyck carries an $8,500,000 cap hit, tied for third among NHL goalies.
Edmonton already has Leon Draisaitl at $14,000,000 and Evan Bouchard at $10,500,000. Fitting another big number in means moving real pieces out.
The kitchen-sink approach would be a bad idea. By Staples' count, the Oilers won the Grade A chances 20 to nine on Tuesday, so the fix starts with structure before any blockbuster.
Chasing Hellebuyck now is like buying a sports car because the minivan needs new brakes. Fix the brakes first.
Kevin Lankinen's night at the other end, 32 saves on 37 shots, showed what a steady performance in goal looks like against this group.
Stan Bowman has a Thursday rematch in Vancouver before any phone call needs answering. Jarry could get a chance to change the conversation himself.
If Thursday looks like Tuesday, the fans asking for the kitchen sink will only get louder.
Should the Oilers go all in to trade for Connor Hellebuyck?
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