Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland wants to re-sign veteran goaltender and pending unrestricted free agent Mike Smith this offseason, he told reporters during his end-of-season media availability Wednesday.
Holland added he'll meet with Smith within the next few weeks.
Smith has signed back-to-back one-year deals with the Oilers, with this past season's pact carrying a $1.5-million cap hit. The 39-year-old enjoyed a terrific campaign in 2020-21, going 21-6-2 with a .923 save percentage and 13.9 goals saved above average. It marked a major turnaround after he posted severely underwhelming stats in the previous two seasons.
The Oilers are projected to have $22 million in cap space this summer, according to CapFriendly. The team has multiple key players set to hit unrestricted free agency, including Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Adam Larsson, and Tyson Barrie. Kailer Yamamoto and Dominik Kahun are notable restricted free agents in need of new deals.
