Edmonton Oilers goaltenders receive harsh grade from top NHL analyst
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The Edmonton Oilers are in a Cup or Bust season, but analysts say they're entering the year with one of the worst goalie tandems in the NHL.
The Oilers have hired a new goalie coach in Pete Aubry, but will be running back with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard for this year. The team is hoping new coaching can help, but the problem might be personnel.
NHL analyst ranks Oilers goalie tandem 27th out of 32 teams
Analyst Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff took a dive into the numbers, and found that both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard were below league average - and the Oilers were the only playoff team with 2 below average goalies.
We can at least say Skinner and Pickard are good enough to get Edmonton to the playoffs and the Stanley Cup Final - twice in a row. But it is possible this duo also cost Edmonton two Cups? The Oilers were one of the few teams in the league that got below-average goaltending from their No. 1 and No. 2 last year. Each of the teams listed above arguably has a better starter than whomever the Oilers trot out on any given night.
- Mark Larkin
- Mark Larkin
The only teams the Oilers ranked above were the Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins. Those are all rebuilding teams in stark contrast to the Oilers, aiming for a Stanley Cup.
It's unbelievable the Oilers were able to reach 2 Cup Finals with such a major weakness. There needs to be an improvement this season to give the Oilers a better chance to win, and that could come from Skinner or Pickard.
Hopefully both Oilers goaltenders show signs of improvement early-on this season, but if they get to the deadline again with below average goaltending, a move will be long overdue.
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