The Edmonton Oilers have signed veteran goaltender Frederik Andersen to a one-year contract, the team announced Wednesday.
The move introduces a three-goalie rotation system for the upcoming NHL season, a strategy General Manager Stan Bowman confirmed as a response to the modern schedule and injury management.
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Contract Details and Role
The deal includes a base salary of $1 million, with incentives based on games played and postseason success that could raise the total to $2.8 million.
Andersen, 36, joins the Oilers fresh off a Stanley Cup championship with the Carolina Hurricanes last month.
Edmonton plans to share goaltending duties among Andersen, Tristan Jarry, and Devon Levi, mirroring systems used by Buffalo and Carolina last season.
Last season, the Oilers struggled defensively, allowing 3.23 goals per game, ranking 25th in the league.
Bowman on the Strategy
Bowman explained the rationale during a radio interview on Edmonton Sports Talk.
“We can give (Andersen) the appropriate rest,” Bowman said. “Because we’re going to have a three-goalie system next year.”
He noted that the league-wide approach to goaltender workloads has evolved significantly, pointing to successes in other franchises.
“I think it’s going to become more common in the coming years,” Bowman said. “Buffalo and Carolina … they both had a lot of success (last season).
It’s been uncommon, for sure, in the past.
But the way the schedule goes, in the modern game goalies just aren’t playing 60, 70 games a year.”
