The Edmonton Oilers’ goaltending duo of Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen received their fair share of criticism last season. They were deemed too inconsistent, too old, and too prone to the occasional blunder between the pipes. Some of those accusations may be true, but in the end, the goaltending was consistent enough for the team to reach the Western Conference Final.
However, the 40-year-old Smith is now on LTIR, and his career is likely finished, and Koskinen left to play in Switzerland. On the other hand, the Oilers are entering a new era with added pressure to push beyond the Western Conference Final and, dare I say, to even win a Stanley Cup— and they have a new goaltending tandem they’re relying on to get them there.
The organization has put its trust in the duo of Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner. The Oilers showed their confidence in Campbell when they signed him to a five-year deal this past offseason and feel Skinner has over-ripened in the American Hockey League (AHL) and is ready to be an NHL regular.
Oilers fans are experienced and know to proceed with caution and not set their expectations too high. Yet, both goaltenders showed promise in the preseason, which has left Oil Country feeling good about their netminders heading into the new season. And if fans needed confirmation of this fresh new feeling of faith in their goaltending, just know that the greatest player of all time, Wayne Gretzky, feels the same way. He has high hopes for Campbell and Skinner heading into the 2022-23 season.
Gretzky Believes Campbell Was One of Offseason’s Best Signings
Gretzky played 10 seasons in Edmonton and worked in their front office for five seasons, resigning from his role as a partner and vice chairman in 2021, yet he still keeps tabs on the team he won four Cups with during the 1980s. Most recently, he was a guest on the Bob McCown Podcast, and the topic of conversation was about teams that could make a serious run for the Stanley Cup this upcoming season.
Gretzky stated that he likes Edmonton’s chances to win the Cup and described that their playoff experience last season was valuable. He added that they made a well-calculated move by signing Campbell, saying, “I really think one of the best signings of the summer was Campbell. I think he’s going to be a really strong goaltender for the Edmonton Oilers. He’s coming from a city that’s a lot of pressure — he handled it well.” He added, “So, I think Campbell is going to really help the Edmonton Oilers. I think the Oilers are going to be tough to knock out of that division, [and] they’re going to finish first or second.”
The 30-year-old Campbell posted a 31-9-6 record with a 2.64 goals against average (GAA) and a .914 save percentage (SV%) in his first season as a true starter with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. I agree with Gretzky that Campbell should be solid between the pipes for Edmonton this season. A competitive advantage that he has heading into the 2022-23 season, in addition to his skill set, is that experience playing in the “Hockey Mecca of the World,” Toronto.
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Playing in a Canadian market can be mentally tough on players, and the fact that Campbell had success in Toronto, which has more scrutiny and media coverage than Edmonton, should work in his favour. This is worth noting because quite often we hear of players succumbing to the added pressure of playing in a Canadian city because of harsh criticism (from ‘Pressure of Playing in Canada Can Be Too Much for Some,’ Toronto Sun, 4/11/16). Goaltenders have to be mentally tough — even tougher in a Canadian market — and Campbell proved he can perform under those conditions, which should make for a seamless transition in net for the Oilers.
Gretzky Feels Skinner Will Provide Good 1-2 Punch
The anticipated backup netminder this season, Skinner, looked solid in his preseason starts. He had a stellar performance in a 33-save win over the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 1, and although he did not pick up a win against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 5, he made 26 saves and several Grade A stops.
Skinner is expected to play in 25-30 games this season, and like his teammate Campbell, Gretzky had high praise for the young Skinner, saying:
“I think Skinner is going to be a tremendous backup for Campbell. You know, Skinner was one of the best American League goaltenders and one of the best American League players for a few years, but when you come up and down and you come up for two weeks and go down for one game and you go back, I don’t care who you are, you lose your confidence. You watch how good this kid plays this year because he knows he’s staying the whole year. I think Skinner is going to be a great backup for Campbell. I think they’re going to have a nice 1-2 punch.” – Wayne Gretzky
There’s truth to Gretzky’s assessment of the young netminder. Skinner was recalled to the NHL and sent back down to the AHL on several occasions last season. He played in 13 NHL games last season, winning six, and still posted a modest 2.62 GAA and .913 SV%. Skinner went 22-7-7 during the AHL regular season while posting a 2.21 GAA and a .920 SV%. The fact that Skinner knows he’ll be staying in the NHL this season will allow him to build off his confidence and maintain momentum, which will be huge for his development and the Oilers overall.
Both Oilers Goaltenders Played Well in Preseason
The preseason wrapped up for the Oilers with a 5-3 win over the Seattle Kraken on Oct. 7. Head coach Jay Woodcroft liked the work he saw from his starting goaltender, Campbell, saying, “He made some big saves for us. I think (Seattle) had the bulk of the first period. We scored a goal late, and then we kind of took the game over in the second period, but the chances they had were grade-As, and Jack was there. I think he inspires confidence in his teammates and coaching staff.”
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Campbell finished the preseason with two wins, a 2.38 GAA, and a .915 SV%, while Skinner posted a 2.93 GAA and a .911 SV% in 151:02 minutes of work. The goaltending duo is still unproven, but there’s comfort in knowing that their head coach and “the Great One” have the utmost confidence in them heading into the season. It’s an exciting time in Oil Country, as the new era of Campbell and Skinner between the pipes begins on Oct. 12 at Rogers Place.
