GM Stan Bowman reveals what stopped Oilers from trading for a goalie this season
Photo credit: Edmonton Oilers RAW
Oilers GM Stan Bowman heard fan concerns on their goaltending this season, but chose to stick by his players and coaches who deeply believe in Stuart Skinner.
Skinner had a wildly inconsistent season this year, and struggled early on in the playoffs too. The Oilers were bailed out by Pickard, but now Skinner has found his game.
Oilers GM Stan Bowman answers why team never traded for a goalie
In a new interview with Pierre LeBrun of the Athletic, Stan Bowman credited the team's confidence in Stuart Skinner as the first reason why he never made an addition.
I mean, you talk to the players and you talk to the coaches, they have a lot of confidence in these guys. At the end of the day, the players decide this, right? It's the guys that are on the ice, and they have confidence in the guys we have, both in Pickard and Skinner. I think when you have a belief from your team that they're going to get the job done for you, then you don't have to focus on that exclusively.
- Stan Bowman
- Stan Bowman
It's a bold decision of the General Manager to just double down on the opinion of the players, even with the data stacked against the Oilers goaltender. When it's really mattered though, Skinner has consistently found ways to elevate his game for the moment.
Additionally though, Bowman interestingly said that he found no clear top goalie available in the market this season. That could suggest the Oilers would consider adding a higher profile goalie this summer.
It's very important, but on the other hand, it's not like there's 30 No. 1 goalies in the world. There's a handful, and then there's other guys who can do the job you need them to do.
- Stan Bowman
- Stan Bowman
The Oilers did investigate multiple goalies in trade this season, with the biggest star rumoured to be John Gibson. Clearly Bowman didn't see him as a true upgrade.
For now, Skinner is absolutely repaying the Oilers back for keeping their confidence in him. If Skinner can keep up his level of play, or even just remain average, he'll give the Oilers another great chance at the Stanley Cup.
| POLL | ||
MAI 27|1132 ANSWERS GM Stan Bowman reveals what stopped Oilers from trading for a goalie this season Do you think the Oilers will acquire a new goalie this offseason? | ||
| Yes | 524 | 46.3 % |
| No | 608 | 53.7 % |
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