Subscribe
Follow Us
Heading towards the NHL trade deadline, there likely won't be a ton of goaltenders available. But, Karel Vejmelka may be one of them.
Anaheim Ducks netminder John Gibson remains an option, but his contract could still be a concern for interested teams. Meanwhile, Mackenzie Blackwood was already moved and subsequently signed to a big extension by the Colorado Avalanche. As a result, the market could be a bit thin for teams who are looking to upgrade their goaltending before the deadline.
Vejmelka has put together a really strong year with the Utah Hockey Club, posting a .911 save percentage over 31 games. Vejmelka is on an expiring contract, and could be one of the better free agent goalies available this summer.
Utah may certainly opt not to trade Vejmelka and instead look to extend him before July 1. Adding to the dilemma is the fact that Connor Ingram's tough year leaves Utah without another quality option in goal. But if team feels a playoff berth is unlikely, it's possible they could deal Vejmelka to add future assets.
Below, we take a look at three possible landing spots for Karel Vejmelka, if Utah makes him available.
Vejmelka could give Edmonton Oilers another option in goal
Heading into the 2024-25 season, Stuart Skinner seemed set to be a reliable starter for the Oilers. Skinner was counted on for almost 60 games last season and was a win away from helping the Oilers capture a Stanley Cup.
But Skinner's play has been up and down this season, lacking real consistency. Edmonton is in position for another deep playoff run this year, and relying on Skinner to guide the team back to the Stanley Cup Final is risky.
With the team likely to add at the trade deadline, it's just a matter of what the Oilers prioritize. If they do opt to try to improve their goaltending, Vejmelka could be one of the better options available. Skinner remains signed through next season, but his cap hit is low enough that the Oilers could feasibly add Vejmelka at the deadline, and still look to extend him without committing too much money to their crease. Even if the intention is to use Vejmelka as a rental, it could still be worthwhile to give the Oilers another option in the postseason, if Skinner falters.
Vegas Golden Knights' goaltending has been shaky
It's a little jarring to see how far the Golden Knights' goaltending situation has regressed. Over the last couple of years, Adin Hill and Logan Thompsom formed a really stable tandem when healthy. Hill in particular played a big role in helping the team capture their first Stanley Cup in 2023.
With Vegas committing to Hill as their guy, the team dealt Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals last summer. Thompson has been excellent in Washington since the trade, holding a .924 save percentage across 29 games. As a result, the netminder earned a big six-year extension with the Capitals.
Article Continues Below
Vegas' goaltending situation, on the other hand, has been much more precarious. Hill has seen his play slip, managing just a .900 save percentage in 33 games this season. Ilya Samsonov, who was brought in by the Golden Knights this summer, has also managed just an .899 save percentage in 20 games.
With Vegas in a position to contend this season, the team could look for an upgrade in net. Adding Vejmelka would give the Golden Knights an option to either use Karel Vejmelka as a rental for then playoff run, or extend him.
Columbus Blue Jackets are a wild card
Obviously, the Blue Jackets aren't in the same position as the Oilers or Golden Knights. While both of the Pacific teams have legitimate Stanley Cup hopes, Columbus is fighting just to get to the postseason. So there's much more risk in Columbus going after a pending UFA at the deadline, considering there's a chance they don't reach playoffs.
But on the flip side, Columbus' odds of breaking into the playoffs are significantly better with an upgrade in net. Elvis Merzlikins has managed just an .895 save percentage across 34 games this year. Meanwhile, Daniil Tarasov has been just about unusable, posting an .876 save percentage across 14 games. Arguably, it's the team's biggest weakness this season.
However, any trade for Veljmelka carries a lot of risk. The Blue Jackets almost certainly won't make this trade unless they feel very confident they could get an extension done. At the same time, signing Vejmelka also carries a degree of risk in the sense that they're banking on him as a longer-term commitment.
Vejmelka posted just an .897 save percentage last season and was outplayed by tandem partner Connor Ingram. If the Blue Jackets were to commit to Vejmelka and he regressed back to his 2023-24 performance, it puts the team in a tough position. They'd be committing assets and cap space, so banking on Vejmelka as a long-term solution is a gamble.
The more likely scenario is that the Blue Jackets hold off and wait until the offseason to address their goaltending. But if they believe solving the issue now could be the difference-maker in reaching the postseason, it's at least a possibility that they look to upgrade in goal before the deadline.
