Oilers’ Goalie Picture Could Get Crowded When Frederik Andersen Returns

Edmonton’s goaltending has become a strength before Frederik Andersen is ready to return, leaving the Oilers with a question that could grow more complicated as the season moves along: how do they make room for three goalies who may all be capable of playing? Coach Mike Babcock says Andersen will get his chance when he’s healthy. What happens after that will depend on how the rotation develops.

Before Wednesday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Babcock praised Devon Levi and Tristan Jarry. He also pointed to the improved play in front of them. Better defensive support gives both goalies a stronger foundation, and it makes their recent work part of a broader team improvement rather than a goaltending story in isolation.

That context matters when weighing the choices ahead. If Edmonton’s structure continues to hold, the team may be able to manage its goaltenders by sharing starts. But a three-goalie arrangement brings practical questions: how often each player gets into games, how they stay sharp between appearances and whether the roster can sustain that setup over time.

Andersen will get an opportunity

Andersen, a veteran who won the Stanley Cup with Carolina, is still about a month and a half from returning, Babcock said. The Oilers have known about that timeline for some time. What’s changed is the form of the two goalies currently available: Levi and Jarry have given Edmonton reason to think carefully about the roles they’ll hold once Andersen is back.

“I don’t think Freddy’s going to have much trouble playing good,” Babcock said. “He’ll just get his opportunity in the rotation and then they’ll work it out.”

Babcock’s wording leaves the eventual arrangement open. Andersen is expected to enter the rotation, but the coach didn’t set out a specific schedule or say how the three would share starts. That decision can wait until Andersen is closer to playing; for now, Edmonton has time to see whether Levi and Jarry keep producing and what the team needs from its crease.

A crowded crease has trade-offs

Keeping three goalies who can handle starts would give the Oilers depth if an injury or a dip in performance changes their plans. That flexibility can be valuable over a long season. It also comes with a cost in opportunity: each goalie needs game action, and dividing starts among three players can make it harder for any one of them to settle into a steady rhythm.

Practice time is part of the equation, too. A goalie who sits for a stretch still needs to stay prepared, while the team has to find a workable routine for the group. Those demands don’t guarantee that a three-man rotation will fail; they do mean Edmonton will need to judge whether the extra insurance is worth the limited playing time for each netminder.

Andersen’s original role was not expected to be that of Edmonton’s clear-cut starter. By signing with the Oilers, he was looking at fewer than 20 games, and his total could fall further if Levi maintains his current level and Jarry continues his bounce-back season. The club will have to assess what it sees from all three before settling on a longer-term plan.

There’s also the possibility that the Oilers’ evaluation of Levi and Jarry will make one of the available goalies expendable. That is a question, not a decision Babcock announced. A team with several capable options can keep the depth, or it can decide that its needs elsewhere make a move worth considering. Edmonton may have reason to stay active as the trade deadline approaches, and dependable goaltending depth could help shape those plans.

Jarry has the next chance

Jarry was set to start against Philadelphia on Wednesday. Another strong performance would add to the discussion about who should lead Edmonton’s crease, but one start won’t settle the larger question. The team will need a sustained look at both Jarry and Levi, followed by an opportunity to judge Andersen when he’s healthy enough to play.

For now, the Oilers can take value from having two goalies playing well and a veteran expected back in roughly six weeks. The practical test comes when Andersen joins them: Edmonton will have to decide whether three options can share the work effectively, or whether the performances in front of him have already clarified the team’s priorities.