MONTREAL, QC - MAY 12: Look on Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid 97 during the Edmonton Oilers versus the Montreal Canadiens game on May 12, 2021, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA MAY 12 Oilers at Canadiens Icon210512085

Connor McDavid praises Oilers’ three-goalie system as the NHL trend continues to grow

Jul 28, 2026, 10:30 AM CUT

Connor McDavid went on to praise the Edmonton Oilers' new three-goalie system on Monday at the Zach Hyman Charity Classic golf tournament in Toronto.

Edmonton Oilers built a new three-goalie system by adding goaltender Frederik Andersen and defenseman Ryan Shea this offseason. Edmonton acquired Devon Levi from the Buffalo Sabres, retained Tristan Jarry, and added Andersen, three goalies, with no clear starter.

"He was really solid," McDavid praised, talking about Andersen. "It's really exciting, and bringing in Levi too, having a kind of three-goalie system, Carolina's done that for a little bit and obviously had success."

Levi joined the Oilers on July 1, 2026, and on the same day, the Oilers signed goaltender Andersen to a one-year contract with an AAV of $2.8 million. They acquired Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins in December, 2025 and have retained him this season.

For years, Edmonton's goaltending has been the weak link. This offseason, McDavid and the Oilers are finally addressing it. McDavid explained why the depth matters. He continued by emphasizing building defense around the net.

MONTREAL, QC - MAY 12: Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid 97 waits for a face-off during the Edmonton Oilers versus the Montreal Canadiens game on May 12, 2021, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA MAY 12 Oilers at Canadiens Icon210512076

"Injuries happen, and you have to have somebody ready to go in there, and we'll always have that," McDavid said, per NHL.com.

By that, McDavid's point is clear: depth is insurance. As the team’s captain, McDavid’s approval shows that the other players are also in agreement with this new strategy.

Shea is also there to strengthen Edmonton's blue line. He was one of only two NHL defensemen last season with at least 35 points and a plus/minus above +30.

The Oilers now signed him to a five-year contract on July 1, as a long-term player who’s set to pair with their new goaltending group.

Meanwhile, Edmonton isn't the first team to use this approach.

The three-goalie trend across the league

Carolina Hurricanes used the three-goaltender strategy for most of last season, and it clearly worked.

Their backup, Brandon Bussi, ended up leading the team in starts and wins, then helped cover for Andersen during the Stanley Cup Final.

As discussed in the Daily Faceoff, Buffalo also experimented with working with three goalies just last season. General manager Jarmo Kekäläinen was sceptical about the plan in the beginning. However, their coach, Lindy Ruff, afterwards said that the approach worked and that they’d continue it in future seasons.

Seattle did the same thing as well. The Kraken started the last season with Joey Daccord, Philipp Grubauer, and Matt Murray all on the roster. Their plan worked well until Murray suffered an injury midway through the season.

As more teams continue working with the three-goalie system, it could become a fixed strategy in the league. The teams with the cap space and the depth may continue to follow Carolina's lead.

What do you think about the Oilers' new three-goalie system? Let us know in the comments below.

Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar