This is your TL/DR (too long, didn’t read) summary post where excerpts are taken from the best of the best when it comes to Edmonton Oilers blogs. BLH gives you his two cents on the latest posts being published in the Oilogosphere! Including those from Lowetide.ca, The Athletic, Oilersnation, The Cult of Hockey, Copper N Blue, Oil on Whyte, and more!
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The Athletic
Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner shows he’s on the right track in his 2nd NHL start
- Skinner’s WHL career before coming to Bakersfield was filled with inconsistencies. Skinner backstopped some lousy Lethbridge Hurricanes teams from the time he was 15, a rare feat in major junior. He’d look like an all-star some nights. Others, not so much.
- Skinner was then the backbone of the 2017-18 Swift Current Broncos, who won the league title.
- With Shane Starrett and Dylan Wells ahead of him on the depth chart early in his rookie AHL campaign, Skinner became the No. 3 goalie. He and Wells would rotate monthly stints in ECHL Wichita…
- The Condors turned to Skinner in the 2019 AHL playoffs when Starrett sustained an injury. Skinner turned made 46 saves in a 2-1 double-overtime win in his first professional postseason start.
- Skinner and the Condors struggled the following season amid injuries and underperformance. Skinner posted a .892 save percentage in 41 appearances before the pandemic halted the campaign.
- Skinner rebounded nicely last season, posting a save percentage of .914 in 31 outings and backstopping the Condors to a Pacific Division crown.
- This fall, Skinner appeared in four preseason games in Edmonton and then started Bakersfield’s first two games before getting the call to the big club on Oct. 20, the day after Mike Smith sustained a lower-body injury against Anaheim.
- Skinner is giving himself a chance to take the next step in his career, too. That’s a potentially important development considering Skinner needs a new contract after this season and is waivers eligible next fall.
BLH’s Thoughts: It wouldn’t be a normal year in the Edmonton Oilers blogosphere if the media and fanbase weren’t fawning over a highly touted prospect who only has two NHL games under his belt.
With that said, Skinner HAS looked better this year but I don’t know if I’m ready to anoint him Edmonton’s next savior in net though.
However, I am intrigued by this prospect. He’s been on my radar since I heard he was starting games in junior as a 15yr old and I’m a sucker for good hockey stories.
As a homegrown netminder, where will Skinner land when it’s all said and done, as the next Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers, Devan Dubnyk v2.0 or maybe somewhere closer to Andy Moog or Grant Fuhr?
Lowetide.ca
- Stuart Skinner could solve many problems for the Edmonton Oilers if it turns out he’s an actual NHL goalie. He stopped 35 of 38 (.921) in a loss against the Detroit Red Wings last night, looked strong save for one rookie mistake that cost him in a big way.
- If it comes to pass that Mike Smith is in his final season, Skinner would be a solid backup goalie to a strong No. 1 option next year. Skinner’s cap number is a dream for Edmonton in 2022-23.
- If Kassian is injured for any length of time, that brings Colton Sceviour to the third line with Benson likely drawing in to the lineup (Perlini to right wing).
- We could also see a trade, for a center.
BLH’s Thoughts: From what the pundits are saying right now, it sounds like Holland IS working the phone lines right now with a goaltender his no.1 priority. Brian Lawton was saying on Oilers Now yesterday that he reckons the Oilers could make some moves ahead of the trade deadline and I think that echoes what Chris Johnston said on his own podcast recently.
Marc-Andre Fleury is the big name being connected to Edmonton at the moment. Bob Stauffer was talking about Detroit’s Joe Veleno and Marc Staal a few days ago. Also, I’ve heard Hampus Lindholm is on their radar too.
It’s funny, I’ve been of the opinion that Holland probably wouldn’t make an early season move because that’s not his M.O. really, but what I completely forgot to realize is that since he’s joined the Oilers, all of his big moves, major signings, and first round draft picks have been leaked early. That changes things.
So, I don’t know if I’m ready to walk back my thoughts on an early-season trade yet, but I do feel confident in saying that changes are coming and they might come earlier than usual considering the floundering bottom-six, poor 5v5 defending, and dodgy health of Edmonton’s netminding. It’d be a shame to let a 9-2-0 start go to waste.
Spector’s Hockey
- YARDBARKER: TSN’s Chris Johnston and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman have speculated over whether Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury could become a trade candidate at some point during the season.
- Fleury was at the top of Friedman’s list of potential Blackhawks trade assets. He hinted Edmonton could be a trade destination during an appearance on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer.
- Johnston, meanwhile, expressed his view that it’s reasonable to link the 36-year-old goaltender to the Oilers during a recent podcast.
- ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski suggested the Blackhawks should approach Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to determine if they wish to finish their careers in Chicago if the club goes into a full rebuild.
- THE ATHLETIC: Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers report the Blackhawks aren’t in any rush to find a full-time replacement for recently fire head coach Jeremy Colliton.
BLH’s Thoughts: I’ve received a few messages this month from sources league-wide that the Oilers are still on the hunt for an upgrade in net. Personally, I still find it hard to believe considering how well the netminding has been so far and how average the club’s bottom-six is trending.
