NHL free agency: Top 3 teams who should sign Anton Khudobin

Anton Khudobin will be one of the most interesting goalies in NHL free agency. Which teams should sign him?

The Dallas Stars will likely not be re-signing goaltender Anton Khudobin, according to Sean Shapiro of The Athletic. It sounds like he wants to test the free agent market, as the Stars aren’t giving him the deal he wants.

To be fair, if anyone’s earned a big deal, it’s Khudobin. He has spent most of his NHL career as a backup journeyman goalie. But in Dallas, Khudobin has proven to be more than that. This is likely his last chance at securing a big deal, something he’s never really had in his career.

Khudobin will be one of the most fascinating goalies on the market tomorrow. Not only that, he’ll also be one of the best. His performance during the Stanley Cup Playoffs will likely get him a multi-year deal that could be worth over $4 million annually.

Let’s take a look at which three teams would be the best fit for him.

3. Calgary Flames

For the second straight offseason, the Calgary Flames will be looking to add a goalie in free agency. They had good luck with Cam Talbot last summer, as he wound up being surprisingly effective for them as a backup to David Rittich.

If the Flames want to add a backup again, Anton Khudobin would make a lot of sense for them. He’s capable of giving Rittich a spell of rest. And if Rittich struggles, Khudobin has proven he can handle the load for a short period of time.

Khudobin’s price will likely be out of the Flames price range, but in these troubling times, it’s hard to predict what kind of contract players will get. Also, the Flames might be trading a big-name player, which could open up some more cap space for them. If that happens, Khudobin to the Flames could become a reality.

2. Edmonton Oilers

Much like their Albertan enemies, the Edmonton Oilers are looking to upgrade in goal. The only problem is they don’t have too much cap space. But if Khudobin wants a chance to be a backup goalie for a contender with a possibility to be a starter, the Oilers would make sense.

More from Puck Prose

• Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
• This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
• 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
• 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
• This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings

While Edmonton also has Mikko Koskinen signed, he has struggled when asked to be a number one goalie. He did well last season with a .917% save percentage in 38 games, but struggled in 2018-19 when he had to make 55 appearances.

Koskinen and Khudobin would be an expensive tandem (most likely), but they could also be a very good one. The Oilers defense isn’t great, especially without Oscar Klefbom, which means they’ll be relying on their goalies to bail them out on a fairly regular basis.

While the goaltending market will likely provide better bargains than Khudobin for the Oilers, Klefbom’s cap hit going to the LTIR could free up quite a bit of space. That might be enough for Edmonton to bring in someone like Khudobin.

Playing for the Oilers could be enticing for Khudobin, as he’d be joining a very talented team who could make a run at the Stanley Cup next season with the right tweaks. Khudobin could be one of those tweaks.