Oh, how things could have been very different in 2024-25 in the NHL if the Edmonton Oilers had swung big. And by swinging big, all they needed to do was to pick up the phone and call Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney.
After losing in seven games to the Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, one thing was clear that Edmonton was missing to get over the top, a goaltender. It just so happened that Sweeney was looking to move one of his two goaltenders, Linus Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman, after what was a couple of years of a great duo. All things come to an end. It was clear to the rest of the league that the Bruins were open for business to acquire one of their netminders.
In the end, Sweeney traded Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators for a package that included a first-round draft pick, goalie Joonas Korpisalo, and forward Mark Kastelic. After losing to the Panthers for the second straight year in the Stanley Cup Final, a former GM wonders if the Oilers missed on a golden opportunity to fill their biggest void with a capable netminder.
Former NHL GM thinks the Edmonton Oilers missed a golden chance to acquire a goalie from the Bruins
There had been some speculation for some time that Sweeney was going to split up his duo, and it was always thought that Ullmark was the one who was going to be on the move, not Swayman. That indeed ended up being the case, and to compound matters, he went to an up-and-coming Atlantic Division foe. Pierre McGuire was a guest on the Jeff Marek Show and questioned whether a golden opportunity was missed by the two-time defending Western Conference champs.
"I'm just wondering if they didn't miss out on the potential of hitting a home run deal with Boston to solidify their goaltending position,'' said McGuire. "(The situation) was volatile beyond belief.''
Let's be clear about one thing: McGuire was referring to the contract battle between Swayman and the Bruins as being "volatile beyond belief." You have to think that the plan the whole time for Sweeney was to trade Ullmark and keep Swayman. A return for Swayman would have been bigger, but keeping Swayman was likely always the intention, despite the contract rift.
If one Stanley Cup Final loss hasn't opened the eyes of Edmonton to upgrade their goaltending, a second straight should. However, the Oilers' not addressing their goaltending remains to be seen, but one former NHL GM thinks they had the perfect chance to address it and missed, even if they had to settle for Ullmark.