Edmonton Oilers hit roadblock in search for steadier goaltending

Charlie McAfee

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Edmonton Oilers hit roadblock in search for steadier goaltending image

© James Guillory-Imagn Images

The topic of if the Edmonton Oilers have strong enough goaltending to make sure they don't fail Connor McDavid yet again has been one that has plagued the team for years.

Although Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have performed admirably, they don't have that elite level of production and playoff performances of a guy like Sergei Bobrovsky; their main nemesis the past two seasons. 

Before Pickard and Skinner it was an aging Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen who patrolled the crease, and while they did as good a job as any could, it yet again led to more disappointing outcomes for the Oilers, and fans have been consistently asking for the team to add a proper goaltender.

While the market isn't great, there is always a move to be made somewhere, and if the Oilers want to give themselves the best shot they need to get something done.

However according to NHL Insider Jeff Marek; that's easier said than done:

"This goes back to Ken Holland; everybody knows the Oilers have been and continue to look for a goaltender; no one's doing them any favours here."

TSN's Ryan Rishaug also confirmed that Edmonton is willing to stick it out with Skinner but his spot isn't guaranteed:

"They've committed to seeing what they have here for a chunk of time here with Stuart Skinner."

It's not surprising to see that Edmonton isn't getting help from any of their competition, not only because it seems ridiculous to help your opponent in general but a perennial contender who just re-signed the world's greatest player to a bargain-basement deal.

The team did add Connor Ingram in a trade with the Utah Mammoth, however he doesn't necessarily strike you as the premier #1 starter. They would ideally like to target someone in the vein of Anthony Stolarz; a stable, reliable veteran with starter potential.

Skinner had a brutal game against Calgary on Friday and shouldered a lot of the blame, but it led to Pickard being thrown in at practice. That's not the move they want to make if they want to maximize their best chance of winning with Connor McDavid.

For his career, Skinner has a 98-54-15 record with a 2.73 GAA and .905 SV% meanwhile Pickard has a 70-71-12 record with a 2.88 GAA and .903 SV% however he's spent time with six teams (Colorado, Detroit, Edmonton, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Arizona).

It's going to take some creativity and a lot of hard work for the Oilers to bring in who they need to make sure they have the best goaltending possible because if they don't then it'll be a long and most likely disappointing year.

 

Charlie McAfee

Charlie McAfee is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. A journalism graduate based out of Ontario, McAfee decided that a career in sportswriting was his true calling. A dedicated Toronto Maple Leafs fan, he also enjoys all things Blue Jays, Raptors and even a bit of Toronto Marlies in there.