Stuart Skinner's future with Oilers a key consideration for GM Bowman
Article content
So, will Stu Skinner be back in net next season as the No. 1?
Or will he be sharing the crease in a 1 and 1a scenario, but not with the good soldier Calvin Pickard as a partner? Maybe they trade for somebody who is or was a starter.
Article content
Enquiring minds want to know, and they're all wearing Edmonton Oilers jerseys.
There's this feeling that fixing the goaltending here is as simple as looking up plumbers on Google and having somebody come by to fix the leaking toilet.
Article content
It's not.
For sure, Skinner was outplayed by Sergei Bobrovsky in the final against Florida, but Bob's arguably on a career path to the Hall of Fame with his two Cup rings and his two Vezina trophies, plus his 445 regular-season wins, top 10 all-time.
Skinner has only played three NHL seasons (189 regular-season games, 50 in the playoffs), not Bob's 15 years (777 regular-season games and 117 in the playoffs). But he did get the Oilers to the last two Cup finals, with ample help from Pickard along the way this spring. He was definitely better than the ballyhooed Jake Oettinger in the Western Conference final against Dallas, not just this year, but last spring.
So, how bad can Skinner be? He wasn't the reason the Oilers lost to Florida this June; they're just too deep, reminding people of the early 80s New York Islanders with their talent and their wear-you-down philosophy of play.
Article content
Again, Skinner is a good goalie who is in the mix for one of the three Olympic spots next February. But, there still could be a different configuration in net, like maybe somebody to push Skinner for playing time.
Goaltending 'something we'll investigate': GM
'I don't want to single the goaltending out,' said Bowman, who balked at trading for goaltending help at the deadline, maybe because he won three Cups in Chicago with Corey Crawford and Antti Niemi in net, so good goalies but not great ones.
But, he knows the narrative in this city, where Skinner, an accountable, nice guy with lots of ability, gave up two goals in the first period of all five starts in the final series after outplaying Oettinger and Hill, specifically, in heavyweight matchups earlier.
'It's something we'll investigate this summer — what's the best path moving forward for our team. It's hard to predict where that's going to go. We have to have lots of conversations about what other teams are looking to do,' said Bowman, who did concede that the forward group and the goalies would be evaluated most deeply.
Article content
'Goaltending is strange. In a way, it's the most important position, but oftentimes, the goalie you (other teams, scouts, coaches, management, fans) think is the best isn't,' said Bowman, starting a long answer to a short question.
'In three of the four rounds this playoff run we had the better goaltending (against Darcy Kuemper in the LA series after the first two games, against Adin Hill in the Vegas series, against Oettinger in the Dallas win, both in five games) than our opponent, but in the final it flipped,' said Bowman.
'I can't explain how, in the first rounds, our goaltending was better. They weren't elite (goalies), but they (LA, Vegas, Dallas) were supposed to be better,' said Bowman.
'In the final, Bobrovsky was excellent. I'm not disputing that. He made a lot of big saves when we had chances early in games when we couldn't get the lead. Credit to him,' he said.
Article content
'You just can't go to the corner store and get an elite goalie, though. We will devise a plan in the next couple of weeks. I won't handicap what that will look like, it's too early,' said Bowman.
Skinner is young (26) and cheap ($2.6 million for one more year), so there's no pressing reason to move on from him, of course. And he's a solid goalie, probably at the top of the second tier at this time.
Other goaltending options?
But maybe there's a wildcat Oiler offer sheet for Blues Joel Hofer to share the net with Skinner. St. Louis, who scooped up Oilers' Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg last August when the Oilers wouldn't match on the offer sheets, only has $5.03 million in cap space right now. Hofer, who turns 25 on July 30, has played 61 the past two seasons as Jordan Binnington's backup and has a .909 save percentage and a 35-22-5 record.
An Oiler offer sheet on Hofer, who played junior in Swift Current and Portland, for no more than $4,680,076 AAV, would mean the Oilers would only have to give up a second-round pick as compensation in 2026, a draft pick they have.
Article content
We've heard all the other names that might be in play.
The bigger names as acknowledged starters: Jeremy Swayman in Boston, Binnington in St. Louis, Juuse Saros in Nashville, with Skinner presumably going back the other way if there was a trade.
The smaller names who might share duties with Skinner, 26, which would mean trading Pickard (7-1 in the playoffs) and his $1 million, an easy task to a contender.
Here's a brief list: John Gibson in Anaheim, 31, who still has game but has lost the No. 1 job to Lukas Dostal there and seems to be hurt every day ending in a y; the UFA veteran Jake Allen in New Jersey, 35 in August, a former starter in St. Louis and the No. 2 behind Jacob Markstrom; and maybe former Oil Kings goalie Tristan Jarry, 30, in Pittsburgh, who found himself in the minors last season. The Ducks (Gibson) and Pittsburgh (Jarry) would have to eat significant money. Gibson has two more years at $6.4 million AAV, Jarry three more years at $5.38 million AAV.
Article content
Allen has played 460 games, but only 31 last season withthe Devils. Is he really that much better than Pickard?
Nobody's saying the Oilers are going out to get Vezina and Hart trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck or Igor Shesterkin or Andrei Vasilevsky, but Bowman may have to address the goaltending this summer to show the team, the players, the city, the fans that he knows the younger Skinner was second-best to Bobrovsky.
'The reality of the world is you just don't go down to the corner and pick up an elite goalie. How many are there even in that group?' said Bowman.
'The guys who are considered elite (Hellebuyck, Oettinger) have had tough playoffs.
'In the goaltending world, it's simultaneously the most important (position) but in some instances it's not why teams win. If you have a strong enough team, you can win without that (elite, like with Corey Crawford),' said Bowman.
Article content
'It's a great discussion point. I understand that,' he said.
This 'n that: When asked if Dallas had asked for permission to talk to Oiler assistant coach Glen Gulutzan about their vacant head-coaching position, he stickhandled. 'I don't want to get into that right now,' said Bowman. 'I understand you're asking but I'm not going to make that announcement.' By not offering up a flat no, that sounds like the Stars will be interviewing the Oilers PP guru Gulutzan, who was Dallas' coach before from 2011-2013 but less experienced when current GM Jim Nill fired him… With Dallas winger Mason Marchment ($4.5 million, one year left on his contract) now traded to Seattle for a third and fourth-round draft pick because of cap reasons, you have to wonder if that's the territory if the Oilers want to move fellow winger Evander Kane (one year left at $5.13 million) because of their serious cap restraints next season with Leon Draisaitl's $14 million AAV kicking in, along with a huge raise for Evan Bouchard… So far, no word on whether assistant coach Paul Coffey wants to come back for a third year to look after the defence… With Bowman expecting changes in his roster next season, Czech centre Peter Tomasek, 29, signed to a one-year $1.2 million free-agent deal, can probably be pencilled into a spot in the top 9, and if it doesn't work out, he might have a clause to return to Europe. He won the Swedish Hockey League scoring title.
Latest National Stories
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
The Brad Blizzard: Panthers star's love for desserts reaches a new level
For one day only: The Brad Blizzard, available at Dairy Queen. The snack story of the Stanley Cup playoffs — did Brad Marchand eat a Blizzard between periods of a playoff game or not? — reached its celebratory peak Friday. A Dairy Queen in Sunrise, Florida, where the Panthers play their home games, renamed the treat for the day in honor of the now two-time Stanley Cup winner. The Brad Blizzard was one of his favorites: the chocolate chip cookie dough flavor, though on Friday, the primary ingredient wasn't called chocolate chips but rather chocolate 'chirps' — a nod to the verbal jabs that hockey players give one another on the ice. 'I love seeing the excitement from everyone,' Marchand said while 'working' at the DQ for a little while, actually making the treats and handing them out to customers both inside the store and at the drive-thru window. 'These are moments that you love to appreciate.' Marchand was not having a Blizzard between periods of that game in the Eastern Conference final against Carolina — it was honey, but cameras captured Marchand enjoying something off a spoon and the story just took off from there — but Blizzardmania was born. Marchand and several of his teammates went to DQ on off days for the treats, including on the night before ending the Stanley Cup Final against Edmonton in Game 6. Marchand said they went before Game 6 for good luck. The Panthers won 5-1 a day later to take the Cup. 'It's incredible the moments that you look back on and at the time you don't really appreciate what they could mean at the end of the day,' Marchand told reporters Friday. 'The first time we kind of went as a group to Dairy Queen, we were just going for a walk. We wanted to walk off our dinner and have Dairy Queen for dessert and it became this huge organic moment in the playoffs. … Those are the things you look back on and you have fun with.' It has been a nonstop party for the Panthers since winning the Cup, with trips to the famed Elbo Room bar to interact with fans, a team dinner at a Miami restaurant on Thursday night — one where tennis great Martina Navratilova, who just happened to be having dinner in the same spot, got to sip from the Cup — and a slew of other appearances. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Marchand had 10 goals and 10 assists in the playoff run for the Panthers, who won the Cup for the second straight season. He was acquired at the trade deadline by Florida general manager and hockey operations president Bill Zito from rival Boston, and the tale of how Marchand — who was far from a fan favorite in Florida before the trade — became beloved by Panthers fans was one of the compelling stories of the postseason. Marchand and the Panthers will have their championship parade on Fort Lauderdale Beach on Sunday, and then free agency starts July 1. Marchand is a free agent, though he has indicated a willingness to remain in Florida and had a message for the Panthers during his DQ shift. 'Give me a contract,' he said. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Oilers GM Bowman willing to work on McDavid's timeline for extension
Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch and general manager Stan Bowman talk to media at the end of the 2024/25 NHL season.
Edmonton Journal
3 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Free-agency 'fun' for Maple Leafs in swing with July 1 still over a week away
Article content Well, isn't that bleepin' great. With the Mitch Marner door expected to slam shut on the Maple Leafs once National Hockey League free agency begins on July 1, a few other doors are being closed. Article content And that's still with more than a week to go before we get to the annual NHL festivities on Canada Day. For those who figured, or were hoping to any degree, that perhaps Leafs general manager Brad Treliving might entice Sam Bennett or Jonathan Toews to sign in Toronto once the market opened, you're going to have to look elsewhere for your free-agent fix. Article content Hours after Bennett indicated that he's going to re-sign with the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, the Winnipeg Jets on Friday said announced that Toews will be signing with them on July 1, when he is eligible to do so. Toews hasn't played in an NHL game since April 13, 2023, for the Chicago Blackhawks, before stepping away for health reasons. The Leafs had some initial interest earlier this year when Toews' desire to return to the NHL went public. His hometown Jets were always thought to be heavily in the mix, however, and now the 37-year-old Toews will get a chance to wear Winnipeg's colours on a one-year contract. Bennett caught the hockey world's attention late on Thursday night — or early Friday morning — when he said, while on a nightclub stage during a Cup celebration party in Miami, that he 'ain't f–ing leaving,' indicating to a frenzied crowd that he's going to re-sign with the Panthers. Article content Via text on Friday morning, Bennett's agent, Darren Ferris, told us a new contract with the Panthers was not done. 'It was an incredible and emotional night for the Panthers and well-deserved,' Ferris said. 'The celebrations have been amazing to see, and Sam's just taking it all in with his teammates right now. 'At this time, no contract has been signed — when there's something official, we'll share it accordingly.' Panthers general manager Bill Zito said on Tuesday night after Florida beat the Edmonton Oilers to repeat as Cup champions that he thinks he can bring back all three of the club's bold-face potential free agents — Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad. At the very least, expect Bennett talks between Ferris and Zito to pick up. As of now, it would be rather surprising if Bennett signed anywhere but Florida. After winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoffs MVP, Bennett is line for a major bump in pay. The centre, who celebrated his 29th birthday on Friday, is coming off a four-year contract that carried an average annual value of $4.425 million US. Article content Another substantial name came off the free-agent board on Thursday when Matt Duchene, who had 82 points in 82 games last season with the Dallas Stars, signed a four-year pact to remain in Dallas. Whether the Leafs would have any chance to sign Bennett, Toews or Duchene is just part of the point, With three fewer forwards available in free agency, the competition for those remaining will only increase. After he had 20 points in 23 playoff games for the Panthers, making a strong run at winning the Conn Smythe himself, Marchand certainly should be firmly in the Leafs' sights. Even at the age of 37, Marchand would be of great assistance to a Leafs team that needs a DNA change, as Treliving himself said. Though Marchand might love to re-sign with the Panthers, Zito probably doesn't have the money to keep all of his free agents. Marchand has been having fun on Instagram since the Panthers' Cup title, trolling NHL teams that in one way or another had players wind up with the Panthers, and on Friday weighed in on the idea of signing with the Leafs. Article content Latest National Stories
