The Oilers need a number one goalie, and Connor Hellebuyck would be the dream answer. Getting him is another matter entirely.
Start with the need. Edmonton has been hunting goaltending, with reported interest in Samuel Montembeault, and a fan account suggested Connor Ingram is unlikely to stay. The crease is clearly the priority.
Now the Hellebuyck angle. Dave McCarthy reported it wouldn't be surprising if the Winnipeg star plays elsewhere next season, citing factors including his discontent with how the Jets' season went.
Big caveat, though. That report is from April, so it's a couple months old and speculative. The situation may have shifted, and there's no actual link tying him to Edmonton.
Still, the fit is irresistible to imagine.
McCarthy's note is dated, but it planted the seed.
-
Landing Hellebuyck would be a blockbuster long shot
Here's why he's the dream. Hellebuyck is one of the best goalies on the planet, the fifth-highest-paid at $8.5 million. Pair an elite number one with Connor McDavid, and Edmonton's biggest weakness turns into a strength overnight.
That's the fantasy. The reality is much harder.
Winnipeg wouldn't casually move a franchise goalie. Per McCarthy, he has four years left at that $8.5 million number and turns 33 next season. That's term, money, and a cornerstone-level asset all in one.
The cost would be enormous. Even if he were available, the assets required plus fitting that contract, only possible after clearing Darnell Nurse, push this into fantasy territory for the Oilers.
The grounded version is the one already in motion. Montembeault and other names are the realistic pursuit. Hellebuyck is the dream, Montembeault the plausible.
Here's my read: let's be honest, this is a dream, not a plan. An elite goalie is exactly what Edmonton lacks, and Hellebuyck would end the conversation in a heartbeat.
But a stale report and no Edmonton connection make it a fan fantasy more than a real target. Fun to dream on, very hard to do.
What isn't fantasy is the need itself. Edmonton's crease is the priority, and they'll add someone before the season starts.
Whether it's a dream like Hellebuyck or a realistic option like Montembeault, the Oilers simply can't run it back with a question mark in net next to McDavid. Not again.
Should the Oilers chase a goalie like Hellebuyck, or stick to realistic targets?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Pittsburgh's return for Darnell Nurse is finally out, and it's turning heads
