The Edmonton Oilers' inconsistent goaltending has some observers calling on GM Stan Bowman to scour the trade market for an upgrade.

Those calls reached a crescendo following their humiliating 9-1 defeat at home to the Colorado Avalanche last Saturday.

Embattled starting goalie Stuart Skinner rebounded with back-to-back wins over the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers. However, that hasn't stopped the demands for Bowman to replace him.

Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators is one suggested option. The 30-year-old netminder is in the first season of an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $7.74 million. He also carries a full no-movement clause, but some pundits wonder if he might waive it to join a contender.

Saros was first suggested as an Oilers trade target by Daily Faceoff's Jeff Marek on Nov. 6. Four days later, The Athletic's Allan Mitchell pondered the cost of acquiring the Predators' starter. He pointed out that it would be difficult, given that the Oilers have limited salary cap room and few trade assets.

Sportsnet's Mark Spector also acknowledged those issues. Meanwhile, Bleacher Report's Frank Seravalli noted that Saros' performance hasn't been much better than Skinner's and questions whether he has the size and ability to win in the post-season.

Mitchell felt that the Predators would have to take on two players and retain part of Saros' cap hit to make the dollars work. He suggested that replacing struggling backup Calvin Pickard would be a more prudent (and affordable) move.

As for the Predators, there is no indication that they are considering moving Saros. In other words, don't expect to see Saros suiting up for the Oilers anytime soon.

Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, the Penguins' better-than-expected start has some observers wondering if it changes their trade plans for this season.

Defenseman Erik Karlsson and forwards Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust were fixtures in the rumor mill throughout the summer and into training camp. However, the speculation surrounding those players has largely vanished in recent weeks. The same applies to longtime Penguins stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who surfaced briefly in the rumor mill at the start of this season.

Josh Yohe of The Athletic believes Karlsson, Rakell and Rust won't be going anywhere as long as the Penguins remain in the playoff hunt this season. He doesn't anticipate GM Kyle Dubas would spoil an opportunity for Crosby to skate in the postseason again.

Yohe also doesn't see Dubas being a major buyer at the March 6 trade deadline if the Penguins remain in playoff contention. He believes the Penguins GM won't sacrifice the future for quick fixes.

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