Getty
The Edmonton Oilers may have an intriguing goaltending prospect in the pipeline amid plenty of uncertainty in the crease.
The Edmonton Oilers don’t exactly have the deepest prospect pool in the NHL. In fact, a recent ranking in The Athletic listed the Oilers 30th in the league. That’s not by accident. It’s a consequence of years of trading away prospects and draft picks in pursuit of a Stanley Cup.
The Oilers did not pick in the first two rounds last season, picked 32nd in 2024, and did not have a first-rounder in 2023. In fact, the last time the Oilers had a high draft pick was in 2019 when they took Philip Broberg. The next season, Edmonton picked Dylan Holloway at #14.
And guess what, neither player is with the club anymore.
That said, the 2022 NHL Draft yielded an interesting pick. In the fifth round, the Oil took Samuel Jonsson with the 158th pick.
Jonsson is a 6’5” goalie currently playing with the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL. In 25 games this season, Jonsson has a 2.34 GAA and a .910 SV%. That’s fantastic for a league that’s not exactly known for being a tight defensive environment.
Those numbers are encouraging for the Oilers, considering the club has some uncertainty in the crease. While Jonsson is still only 22, he’s shown progress this season, potentially making headway.
“He can challenge and play sharp angles, but can also sit deep in his net and rely more on his reflexes and instincts. He’ll let the odd goal sneak through and still has work to do on his recoveries, but both of those things are common in young goalies his size, and he’s quite sound for his makeup.”
The positive scouting report is nothing the Oilers should sneeze at.
Oilers Shouldn’t Count on Jonsson as a Savior
It’s worth being realistic with regard to Jonsson’s future role in Edmonton. The Athletic’s scouting report has the Swedish netminder as a future no. 3 goalie. Based on the potential there, that’s a conservative assessment.
As the scouting report noted, good coaching could tap into his upside. That upside could make him into a solid backup option. If anything, he could be the sort of fallback option the Oilers need, given the relative inconsistency of Tristan Jarry and Connor Ingram.
While Ingram has played well this season, the Oil will need another option to solidify the crease. With Jarry under contract for two more seasons, that could buy Jonsson enough time to make his way into the NHL.
Edmonton Needs More Goalie Depth
There’s no question the Oilers need more goalie depth. After Jarry and Ingram, Calvin Pickard remains the emergency option. It would be shocking to see Pickard back in the NHL, unless an unfortunate injury struck.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Oilers’ goaltending pipeline does not scream a future No. 1 goalie in the pipeline. Other young netminders like Connor Ungar and Nathaniel Day aren’t really in the mix to take over at the NHL level.
So, it does open the door for Jonsson to compete for a spot. Edmonton, naturally, needs depth today. But thinking a few moves ahead, the organization has nothing to lose by exercising patience with Jonsson.
Nestor Quixtan Seasoned NHL analyst and baseball writer focused on covering clubs across each league with news, analysis, and insights. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Nestor’s singular experiences and background have enabled him to bring a different take on the sports world as a whole. Nestor’s fondness for baseball and hockey set the tone for his love and passion for writing about sports. More about Nestor Quixtan
More Heavy on Oilers
Loading more stories