One of the most talked about topics this season for the Edmonton Oilers has been their goaltending situation. On the Jan. 10 edition of the Lowdown with Lowetide, host Alan Mitchell (Lowetide) and guest Steve Lansky were speculating about what the Oilers would do with their goaltending before the trade deadline. Mitchell has been an ardent supporter of Stuart Skinner, while Lansky hasn’t exactly been a big fan. The two respected hockey voices both feel that Oilers general manager Stan Bowman could possibly put his stamp on the hockey club by upgrading the goaltending tandem of Skinner and Calvin Pickard.
Related: Stuart Skinner Entering Make-or-Break Season as Oilers Goaltender
But they mentioned it would most likely be Pickard who would be sent to the sidelines in favour of another goalie. They both agreed that a veteran like Marc-Andre Fleury might be the upgrade the Oilers need to solidify their chances at winning a Stanley Cup this spring. But it’s hard to say what Bowman will do.
Bowman Won Stanley Cups in Chicago With Antti Niemi and Corey Crawford
Bowman was at the helm of the Chicago Blackhawks for the three Stanley Cup championships they won in 2010, 2013 and 2015. Antti Niemi was the goalie who backstopped the Hawks to the Stanley Cup in 2010 while Corey Crawford was the main man in net for the 2013 and 2015 championships. Both were good goalies but neither could really be considered Hockey Hall of Fame worthy. It feels a bit like the Oilers goaltending situation at the moment. Both Skinner and Pickard are fine, but they wouldn’t be considered near the top of the league like Connor Hellebuyck from the Winnipeg Jets, Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers or Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The key to the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup championships under Bowman was a solid defensive core led by Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook and an overall commitment to team defence led by captain Jonathan Toews. The Oilers, under head coach Kris Knoblauch, have made similar strides in terms of committing to overall team defence but they might be one top four defenceman short of buttoning down their blueline for the playoffs. Bringing in another solid defenceman might be what Bowman is looking for to improve the Oilers for the stretch drive, and there’s a good chance he’ll leave Skinner and Pickard as is. But we’ll see.
Skinner and Pickard Might Be the Right Fit for the Oilers
There are two majour reasons why Bowman might be content to leave the Oilers’ goaltending duo intact past the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline:
1) They’re both affordable. Skinner is currently making $2.6 million while Pickard is only costing the team $850,000. That’s good value for Bowman and the Oilers, and it offers the team more cap space to pursue a defenceman or possibly another forward.
2) Team Chemistry. Both Skinner and Pickard are well-liked by their teammates, and an NHL dressing room can be a fickle place if you start messing with team chemistry. Hockey is still a team sport after all, and the Oilers seem to have a tight group that works hard and sacrifices for each other. If you start changing the chemistry of a team, you can send things in the wrong direction quickly. That’s why Bowman has to seriously contemplate whether or not he wants to risk upsetting the apple cart by bringing the wrong talent and mindset into the Oilers fold. That’s especially true when it comes to the goaltenders.
Bowman May Put His Stamp on the Team by the Trade Deadline
The NHL Trade Deadline is one of the most anticipated dates on the NHL calendar. It’s almost as important as the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1.
Stan Bowman is on the hot seat. He can ill afford to make any missteps on or before the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline. If he’s going to bring in another goaltender, he has to be sure it’s the right move.
It’s going to be interesting to see what Bowman does. This Oilers team is good. They’re knocking on the door. They have almost all of what you need to win the Stanley Cup. The decisions Bowman makes regarding the goaltenders will speak volumes about where this team is headed.
