Frederik Andersen injury could reopen the door to an Oilers trade with Canadian team
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Frederik Andersen's injury has the Oilers eyeing Samuel Montembeault again, reviving trade buzz between Edmonton and Montreal.
The Oilers thought they had solved their goaltending headache this summer.
Then reality hit this week.
Edmonton announced Frederik Andersen will miss training camp and is now expected to be sidelined until late October after getting hurt during offseason training.
That is a massive blow for a team that signed the Stanley Cup winning netminder specifically to stabilize a position that has haunted them for years.
With Tristan Jarry and prospect Devon Levi now holding down the fort to start the season, the pressure is on Stan Bowman to find a short term fix.
Montembeault still sitting in Montreal
That is where Samuel Montembeault comes back into the picture.
"A door opens."
Kent Hughes reportedly tried everything to move the goaltender over the summer but could not find a trade partner willing to meet Montreal's price.
The Canadiens are not interested in giving him away for nothing, so he remains on the roster for now, waiting for the right offer to materialize.
Why Edmonton could be that opportunity
Andersen's absence might be exactly the door that swings this deal open.
The Oilers have been connected to Montembeault before, including reports from a couple months back suggesting Edmonton had already shown interest.
Add in the fact that Connor McDavid is only locked in on a two year deal, and the urgency to build a real contender around him only grows heavier by the week.
Nothing is close to happening yet, and Montembeault may not even be the long term answer in net.
But with a Cup window this tight, expect Edmonton's front office to least make a phone call.
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