Oilers GM Comments on Mike Smith's Future in Edmonton

The Edmonton Oilers were swept by the Winnipeg Jets and while some are calling for the team to acquire a new starting netminder, Oilers general manager Ken Holland made one thing clear on Wednesday - he wants Smith back in his crease.

Ken Holland says he wants to re-sign Mike Smith. Goalie had a fantastic year

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 26, 2021

Holland is expected to meet with Smith sometime over the next two weeks and will discuss what contract options are available to him and his agent. Smith has continued to sign one-year contracts in Edmonton and last season carried a $1.5 million cap hit. At 39, Smith doesn't appear to be slowing down and had himself a solid season. He was 21-6-2 with a .923 save %, which was a huge improvement over the previous two seasons.

The Oilers have some big decisions to make with their $22 million in cap space as they have several unrestricted free-agents to take care of. The likes of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Tyson Barrie, Adam Larsson and Smith all need contracts and so do restricted free-agents Dominik Kahun and Kailer Yamamoto. Sounds like there will not be enough money to go around.

Photo credit:  Terrence Lee-USA TODAY Sports