Frederik Andersen has signed a one-year, bonus-laden deal with the Edmonton Oilers, a move aimed at fixing a long-running goaltending problem with Connor McDavid in his final two years under contract. But Andersen’s recent regular-season numbers, plus continui
The Oilers have been hunting for stability in goal for far too long, and time is suddenly a lot more expensive. With Connor McDavid under contract for two more years, Edmonton’s next goaltending move has to land quickly.
On the first day of free agency, Edmonton signed 36-year-old Frederik Andersen to a one-year contract loaded with bonuses. The deal keeps Andersen in the spotlight—and also places him in the center of a debate Edmonton has lived with for seasons: can a goalie be steady enough. consistently enough. when the season tightens and the playoffs demand answers?.
Andersen arrives from the Carolina Hurricanes, where he played the kind of postseason Edmonton desperately wants to replicate. Through the first two rounds, he was perfect for Carolina, posting an 8-0 record and saving 14.4 goals above expected (1.61 per 60 minutes).
Then the Stanley Cup Final took its toll. A knee injury suffered early in the final prevented Andersen from finishing the run. He still closed the postseason with a 1.89 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage, and 12.8 goals saved above expected across 16 post-season starts.
It’s the contrast that now matters in Edmonton. In the regular season, Andersen’s numbers sank to career worsts. He finished with a 3.05 goals-against average and a .874 save percentage over 35 starts. The Hurricanes also leaned on Brandon Bussi for much of the season’s second half, with Bussi taking 39 starts.
Quality starts told the story another way: 19 of Andersen’s 35 regular-season appearances (54.3 per cent) were quality starts, while only 10 of his 16 playoff starts (62.5 per cent) met that mark.
Andersen hasn’t shied away from the disconnect himself. During an early-season rough patch, he told reporters, “The way I look at it, I’ve played worse hockey and had better numbers. I try not to look at (statistics) too much. I try to focus on what I can control.”
That mission now comes with heavy incentives and heavy expectations. Andersen turns 37 in October. and the Oilers’ contract structure is built to reward the version of him who can stretch games and stay productive. His deal includes a $600. 000 bonus for 10 games played. another $400. 000 for 20 games played. and $200. 000 for each playoff round the Oilers win in which he plays at least 50 per cent of the games. according to PuckPedia.
There is a reason Edmonton is trying to engineer consistency through incentives. Over the past four seasons, Andersen has averaged 27 starts, a figure tied to inconsistent play and various injuries. He also never started more than two consecutive games for the Hurricanes during the regular season, according to ESPN. Edmonton will be betting that the playoffs-success version of Andersen shows up more often than the one that gets slowed.
The other piece of the equation is who else has to handle the crease when that steadiness isn’t there. Tristan Jarry is not out of the picture—quite the opposite. The Oilers’ goaltending overhaul means Jarry continues to see starts after a rough half-season in Edmonton. Jarry allowed 5.43 goals above expected in 19 appearances and recorded a save percentage under .900 in 12 of his 16 starts.
Edmonton didn’t stop there. The Oilers also traded for 24-year-old Devon Levi from the Buffalo Sabres. Once viewed as the Sabres’ goaltender of the future, Levi spent last season in the AHL, posting a 2.83 GAA and .904 save percentage in 52 games.
Stan Bowman framed Levi as both opportunity and preparation rather than a quick fix. “The most important thing was to find a good. young goalie (who) I think has a lot of promise to his game. ” Bowman told reporters. “With Devon Levi in Buffalo. he has played (39) NHL games. so it’s not like he’s totally new to the opportunity. but his most recent success has been in the American League. and I think he’s probably knocking on the door waiting for that opportunity.”.
Edmonton’s situation is why this matters so much. Over the past two seasons, the Oilers finished 28th and 29th in goals saved above expected. Even more striking is what happened in 2025-26 playoffs: Edmonton allowed the most goals above expected of any playoff team despite playing only six games.
Andersen’s Stanley Cup run can’t be waved away—it’s earned. Seth Jarvis captured the emotion from the championship locker room, telling reporters after the Hurricanes’ win, “That guy grinded his absolute nuts off to be in this position and get us here.”
But as soon as the regular season stats enter the conversation, the promise becomes less straightforward. Andersen’s 35-start regular season included career-worst results in GAA and save percentage, and Edmonton is already working with a goalie group that has struggled to hold the line.
One editorial reality emerges from those competing truths: the Oilers are not just signing a proven postseason performer—they’re trying to solve a system-wide problem that has followed them for years. and Andersen’s playoff brilliance will only matter if his regular-season form—and durability—can hold up long enough to make the postseason worth betting on.
MISRYOUM Edmonton Oilers Frederik Andersen Connor McDavid Tristan Jarry Devon Levi Mike Babcock Carolina Hurricanes Stan Bowman goaltending