The Edmonton Oilers are off to a slow start with a 9-9-5 record through 23 games. Goaltending is one of the main issues for the team. Starting goaltender Stuart Skinner is not playing to the level the Oilers need him to. As of Friday morning, Skinner’s record is 7-6-3 with one shutout. He has a 3.00 GAA and a .881 SV%. Not the kind of stats a team wants to see from their number one goaltender.
Reports from those close to the Oilers suggest that the team has officially put Skinner on the clock this season. Insiders like Bob Stauffer are reporting that the Oilers will acquire another goaltender if Skinner doesn’t live up to expectations by the trade deadline. There is too much doubt and uncertainty with Skinner to trust him with another postseason run.
Skinner’s Play Greatly Affects the Oilers
Skinner has stated that his focus isn’t on his individual stats. He just wants to win games. His stats matter and are very reflective of how the Oilers’ season is going. When a goaltender says, “It’s not about my save percentage, or how I’m doing. It’s about my win column, the team’s win column”. You should start to worry. Unless Skinner can get his save percentage above .900 regularly, Edmonton won’t win many games when he is in the net.
He’s right in the sense that wins matter, but when your team is only 23 games into the season, and you already have two games with a save percentage below .800, then yes, your save percentage does matter. During the Edmonton’s 9-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on November 8th, Skinner allowed four goals on 13 shots before being pulled. His save percentage for that game was .692. In the Oilers’ 7-4 loss on Wednesday to the Washington Capitals, Skinner’s save percentage was .737 as he allowed five goals on 19 shots.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the team decides to give goaltender Connor Ingram a chance to prove what he can do. His stats with Utah last season were not the greatest, but he can’t be much worse than Skinner right now.
