A lot has been written about how the Edmonton Oilers are all in regarding their quest for the Stanley Cup. I’ve wondered if their goaltending tandem of Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell was good enough to win it all. I was always of the mind that you needed an elite goalie to win a Stanley Cup going back to the days of Bernie Parent with the Philadelphia Flyers, Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy with the Montreal Canadiens, and Grant Fuhr with the Oilers in the 80s. But much has changed since these NHL Hall of Famers ruled the rinks.
Over the past five years, goalies such as Adin Hill, Darcy Kuemper and Jordan Binnington led their respective teams: the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues, to Stanley Cup glory. All three are good goalies, but I wouldn’t call them elite. The only exception would be Andrei Vasilevskiy, who backstopped the Tampa Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 2020 and 2021. The big question for Oilers fans is – are Skinner and Campbell good enough to win the Stanley Cup?
Oilers Goaltenders Can’t Be Expected to Do it All
After some reflection, I think The Oilers might have good enough goaltending to win it all in 2023-24. Skinner will only get better as he gains more experience after an impressive 2022-23 Calder Trophy-worthy season. While Campbell showed flashes of strength in his relief appearances in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and his confidence will most likely carry into the 2023-24 NHL season. Part of the reason for optimism is what the Oilers players and management have been talking about all off-season – that they will be more committed to overall team defense.
They might have learned a valuable lesson in defeat in the second-round playoff series against the Golden Knights, as the Oilers couldn’t seem to hold a lead. Everyone from Connor McDavid to Oilers’ general manager Ken Holland has emphasized defense at their year-end and off-season press conferences. And defense is how you win championships.
Look for an Improved Team GAA in 2023-24 From the Oilers
Too many times over the past few seasons Oilers’ goaltenders have been hung out to dry, causing the team goals against average (GAA) to rise. Whether it was forwards not coming back fast enough into their own zone or the defense playing too loosey-goosey and not providing enough adequate coverage in their own zone, many times it was just “you and the shooter” when it came to the Oilers goaltenders. A lot of nights, it’s been like open target practice where the Oilers gave up grade A scoring chance after grade A scoring chance.
This Oilers team now seems to be singing a different tune, and they may be onto something. Part of the reason might be that the Oilers will have Mattias Ekholm manning the blue line for a full season after coming over from the Nashville Predators at the trade deadline. Ekholm has been nothing short of a tower of strength in his own zone, and expectations are high that his elite play will continue into the upcoming season.
The much-maligned Darnell Nurse should also have a much better season in 2023-24. With the addition of Ekholm, he doesn’t have to take on the full responsibilities of being a number one shut down d-man. Instead, it’s like the Oilers have 1A and 1B with both Ekholm and Nurse patrolling the blue line with a cast of young and old defenceman including Brett Kulak, Cody Ceci, Vincent Desharnais, Philip Broberg and the still-to-be-signed Evan Bouchard.
Oilers Goaltenders Need a Strong First Half in 2023-24 NHL Season
Some pundits, such as Oilers Now Host Bob Stauffer, have called the 2023-24 NHL Season one of the most important in Oilers franchise history. This is definitely something I agree with him on. The Oilers can ill afford to have any passengers from the starting gate through to another possible post-season appearance. All eyes will be on Campbell to see if he can get past his difficult 2022-23 season and put his troubles behind him for good. As for Skinner, the pressure is now on to improve on a strong start to his NHL career. If he can continue to improve, the Oilers will be in good shape goaltending-wise this season.
Related: Oilers’ Goalie Skinner Has Bright Future Despite Playoff Struggles
However, much depends on the forwards and defense. If the Oilers do indeed show a true, sustained commitment to team defense from Game 1 to Game 82 of the 2023-24 NHL regular season, they will have a legitimate shot at making some serious noise come playoff time. However, if they resort to old habits of leaving the goaltenders to fend for themselves, Oilers fans will have to brace for the possibility of another disappointing season. This is something they can ill afford, considering that McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are both in the primes of their careers and on value contracts at the moment. It should be an interesting season for the Oilers in 2023-23…especially from the goal crease on out.