Oilers GM Stan Bowman reveals his true feelings about goalie tandem

Would it surprise you to learn that the answer is, Nothing? According to John Shannon Stan Bowman is quite satisfied with the current tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard.

In fact, the Oilers' front office believes the goalie situation is not urgent at all, which may account for the lack of activity on that front. They are satisfied that their goalies can bring the Oilers Stanley Cup success.

That the Oilers' GM would say that all is well, is not a surprise, as staff will not throw a player under the bus. In fact, since losing in the finals, Stan Bowman has said all the right things, and stands with his goaltenders. But what is said behind closed doors, and what the GM is doing to upgrade the goalie position, is another matter altogether.

Truth is, when, as a goalie, you face off against a goalie of Sergei Bobrovsky's caliber, what deficiencies exist in your game become quite apparent. It was noticeable throughout the Oilers-Panthers Stanley Cup Finals series, when either of Skinner and Pickard started, and it was noticeable in game 6, when the game really mattered, and Bobrovsky posted a save percentage of .966, to Skinner's .870.

Oilers head coach Chris Knoblauch commented on the issue, when asked about his netminders.

Some would agree with Stan Bowman, that the Oilers' goalies are good enough, and can win games. It's hard to argue that point, when the team has been to two consecutive Stanley Cup finals, losing only by a small margin in both. In the last two regular seasons, Skinner and Pickard have won 48 games, and have lost, including OTL, 34.

Yet, this current edition of the Edmonton Oilers has not won a cup, though they look poised to do so. Whether it's with Skinner and Pickard in goal, only time will tell.