There may be a desire inside the organization of the Edmonton Oilers to give this current goaltending tandem some rope, but experts suggest that the Oilers aren’t afraid to make a move in goal this season, and Stuart Skinner isn’t untouchable.
If it comes time to make a trade or switch things up, it is believed that general manager Stan Bowman will act before it's too late and well before the playoffs are set to begin. In other words, the Oilers have a plan, but they are prepared to abandon ship if the goaltending boat is taking on water.
On a recent episode of Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer, Stauffer and his weekly guest, TSN's Ryan Rishaug, said, "They've committed to seeing what they have here for a chunk of time here with Stuart Skinner." These were comments made after a tough first game for Skinner as he made a big gaffe that led to a bad goal against.
He followed that up with, "What I would say to you Oilers fans that are worried?... Don't worry. If Stuart Skinner is not capable of handling this, he won't be here." He added, "He will not be in net for Game 1 of the playoffs if he does not clearly show to the team this year that he's going to do a better job of handling that than he has in the past. So, I'm not going to panic after one game, but I think we all know that Skinner's on the clock here."
Stauffer responded with a emphatic, "100 percent." As two of the more plugged in analysts connected to the team -- Stauffer actually works for the organization -- their resolute stance on the goaltending situation is something fans should consider a real sign of how things are.
If Rishaug is correct in his presumption that Bowman will have his finger on the eject button by the mid-way mark of the season, the plan seems to be to let Skinner handle a meaningful stretch of games to determine whether he can be a reliable starter. This is his job to lose. However, mistakes like the one on Friday -- where he mishandled playing the puck and Blake Coleman scored -- can't happen.
If he struggles, the Oilers won't hesitate to explore alternatives, ensuring that the team’s playoff hopes won’t hinge on inconsistent goaltending.
Trending Stories:
Cap Crunch And New Additions Put Oilers' Key Depth Pieces In Jeopardy
Jack Roslovic’s First Words As An Oiler Carry A Clear Theme
All the Signs Were There: McDavid's Contract not Actually That Surprising
Over the next few months, Skinner’s performance will directly influence the team’s approach to roster decisions, particularly in net. Not only will Bowman need to find the cap space to upgrade at the position -- or give Connor Ingram a look -- he'll have to stop spending on free agents or change his approach to the trade deadline, because the money he has to spend will have to be allocated to the goaltending position. Some will argue that it should have been the team's priority all along.
The Oilers badly want Skinner to find his game and be the guy. If he can be, it's a massive win for the organization. However, if he doesn't find his game sooner rather than later, the Oilers will need to pivot. Bowman proved he's a man of action and while some fans believe he's been too slow to react on the goaltending front, the reason he's not done anything is because a clear upgrade hasn't fallen into his lap.
Eventually, that may not matter. Skinner's development — or lack thereof — could force Bowman's hand.
Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.