The later into the season we get, the more the rumours swirl. With the Edmonton Oilers, there’s always speculation about someone getting moved. At the moment, Stuart Skinner seems to be the most popular name being thrown around in Edmonton. Whenever the team is linked to another team’s goalie, or they have a bad game, it’s Skinner’s name that comes up. The Oilers need to quiet that conversation and decide what their future looks like with or without Skinner.
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Skinner and Calvin Pickard have been playing as a 1B-1B tandem for some time now, but it’s clear that isn’t going to be sustainable if the Oilers want to stay competitive. Something isn’t working, and whether a trade or a move of the like is imminent, the team needs to evaluate their true starter in Skinner and decide what he can be moving forward.
Treat Skinner Like a True Starter
If management wants a good look at their young goalie, put him in an actual starter’s role for the next stretch. It is typically Skinner playing one or two games and then Pickard getting one or two. If you look at a team like the Dallas Stars, who have a true number one goalie in Jake Oettinger, his starts reflect his role. He’ll make three or four starts before the backup makes an appearance. Skinner should get a trial that looks something like this.
While Skinner is not quite the star Oettinger is, it would still be a good test for him. The Oilers need a goalie who can take on that top role if they want to make another run at it. Before making a drastic move, they should take one more look at what they have. Fans will say he’s had his chances, but you might as well give him one more if a trade is on the way anyway.
They had a chance to give him an extended look this past week after very strong starts against the Seattle Kraken and the Minnesota Wild. He allowed just one goal over those two games, but the coaches ultimately went with Pickard in the recent Dec. 4 victory over the Kraken. The Oilers need to capitalize on small streaks like that because when Skinner gets hot, he can carry it through multiple games, as we saw in the playoffs last season.
Oilers Need to Make Their Decision Soon
As we continue towards the holidays, the rumours aren’t going anywhere. And more likely than not, these rumours and the constant criticisms from the fans can be heard by Skinner. So it makes it more obvious that the Oilers need to make a firm decision as soon as possible in terms of a future in net in order to provide him with some relief.
If they’re going to move Skinner, do it as soon as you can for the best price possible. There’s no need to make him wait and keep hearing from the media and the fans that he’s struggling. If there are no intentions of moving on from Skinner, they should make that known. He should be getting more looks as the starter to see if he is going to be the guy this season, as mentioned. It could inspire some confidence in him.
The sooner the team decides what they want, the better. Whether they make a trade or even make the call to the American Hockey League (AHL) for Connor Ingram, it will take time to integrate a new goalie’s playing style and develop chemistry with teammates for the rest of the season.
If the Oilers want to get back to the Stanley Cup Final and finish the job, they need to put an end to the rumour mill one way or another and make a firm decision in goal. And Skinner is at the centre of it all.
