Every September brings the same ritual across the NHL: agents flood front offices with calls, free agents hunt for one last shot, and general managers weigh whether a professional tryout invite is worth the roster headache. In Edmonton, that conversation has taken on a slightly different flavor this year, with Stan Bowman offering the kind of non-committal answer that keeps everyone guessing.

Speaking on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer earlier this week, the Oilers GM acknowledged that his phone has been ringing off the hook with agents pushing their clients for training camp invites. His response, though, landed somewhere between "maybe" and "probably not," and it's worth unpacking exactly what that means for a team with some very real questions in net.

Bowman's Balancing Act Between Need and Logistics

Bowman didn't slam the door shut on the idea of bringing someone in on a PTO, but he certainly didn't swing it wide open either. He told Stauffer that the team has had internal conversations about it and that there are still some quality players on the market looking for opportunities.

"We're not overflowing with players, but we also don't have a shortage of players," Bowman said. "We're in that mode where yeah, we probably could try to bring a guy in on a tryout, not the worst idea."

But then came the caveat that matters most. This year's training camp is shorter than usual, and the preseason has been trimmed to just four games. That leaves precious little time to properly evaluate anyone new. Bowman pointed out that the main roster will eat up two of those exhibition games, leaving only two others where a tryout player could realistically get a look.

"You could get to know them a bit, watch them practice, but it's a tough year for that," the GM explained. "I wouldn't rule it out, I just think that I wouldn't be waiting for the news to break that we're adding new players."

The Oilers have a rich history with PTOs, and it hasn't always gone smoothly. Alex Chiasson's 22-goal breakout in 2018 remains the gold standard, and Sam Gagner earned a deal out of camp in 2023 that kept him around for the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final. But for every success story, there's a Jake Virtanen situation or a Travis Dermott who lasted just 10 games before being claimed on waivers.

The Goaltending Question Looming Over Everything

What makes this year's PTO discussion more than just routine offseason noise is the state of Edmonton's goaltending. Frederik Andersen is dealing with an undisclosed injury and isn't expected to return until at least October 20. That timeline pushes his availability well past the start of the regular season and leaves Tristan Jarry as the undisputed starter heading into camp.

Neither goalie inspired a ton of confidence with their numbers last season. Jarry posted an .882 save percentage across 33 appearances, while Andersen finished at .874 through 35 games. For a team that went 41-30-11 and finished 14th in the overall standings with 93 points, those numbers represent a genuine vulnerability.

If Andersen's recovery hits any kind of snag and that October 20 date slips further, the conversation around bringing in goaltending depth on a tryout could shift from theoretical to urgent in a hurry.

Still, Bowman seems comfortable with the roster depth he's assembled through other moves. The Oilers added Aku Raty, Eduards Tralmaks, and Mathieu Joseph since last spring, and prospects like Quinn Hutson, Viljami Marjala, and Josh Samanski will all get a chance to make their case. On defense, the team has eight players on one-way contracts competing for spots, so there's no shortage of internal competition.

The bottom line is that Bowman is keeping his options open without committing to anything. It's a pragmatic stance for a GM who knows his roster has real expectations but also recognizes that a compressed preseason limits what a PTO can actually accomplish. If something changes with Andersen's health or an unexpected opportunity falls into his lap, don't be surprised to see a name pop up. But for now, the Oilers seem content to go with what they've got.

Viljami Marjala

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