Oilers' GM Stan Bowman dismisses goalie trade rumors, pinpointing team-wide issues. There is no relief coming, at least not imminently.
In a market where goaltending drama never seems to fade, Edmonton Oilers GM Stan Bowman is trying to keep the temperature down.
Speaking after the NHL’s GM meetings in Toronto, Bowman addressed the mounting concern around his team’s goaltending — and, perhaps more importantly, the growing impatience from fans.
“Our goalies have been average — haven’t been elite and they haven’t been bad. Sort of the way our team has been,” Bowman said, acknowledging what most Oilers fans already know: Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard haven’t exactly stolen games this season.
No Goalie Trade Is Coming For the Oilers
But Bowman made it clear he sees a bigger issue than just the guys in the crease. “We’ve had ups and downs with both goalies, the defence and the forwards,” he noted. “It would probably be clearer if it was costing us games night after night, but that’s just not it.”
At 7-6-4, the Oilers are stuck in a rut where they know they can be better and they're confident they'll find their game, but time is precious. This is no longer October, and the time to fix what's broken is now. The goaltending isn't necessarily bad enough to panic, but it's not good enough to feel like it can compete in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
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For fans hoping to see a change, it's not coming. Bowman said the team needs to be better as a whole before he intends to blame the goalies exclusively. There are no imminent trades, no major shakeups planned.
Fans have already begun speculating about possible trade targets, including Nashville’s Juuse Saros. For now, talk will remain speculation. The Oilers lack the cap space and the desire to make a panic move, given that a few wins in a row will put the team right back in the mix.
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