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The Edmonton Oilers made a huge mistake at the NHL trade deadline, by failing to tagert a crucial team need.
The Edmonton Oilers made a huge mistake at this year’s NHL trade deadline. Yes, the club landed some key upgrades in Connor Murphy on defense and Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach up front.
But there was one area that the Oilers were believed to be looking at: Goaltending. But the team did not address the area. Seemingly, the problem was solved earlier this season.
Once again, Jordan Binnington’s name came up in conversations. But the St. Louis Blues didn’t seem to get any palatable offers for the veteran netminder.
Where things really kicked up was when the Florida Panthers reportedly shopped Sergei Bobrovsky.
Now, that would have been an upgrade for the Oilers in the crease. However, Bobrovsky remains in Florida. The 36-year-old goalie will be a UFA this summer, and indications are that he will re-sign there.
That said, the situation shed some light on Edmonton’s goaltending situation. The club seemingly found an upgrade over Stuart Skinner when it traded for Tristan Jarry earlier this year. Meanwhile, the team jettisoned Skinner to Pittsburgh.
But the numbers don’t really lie.
In 13 games with the Oilers this season, Jarry has a 3.96 GAA and an .862 SV%. As for Skinner, he’s got a 2.63 GAA and an .889 SV%.
Sure, Skinner’s numbers don’t look Vezina-worthy. But they’re consistent with the totals he put up in Edmonton.
Jarry, unfortunately, has seen his numbers take a nosedive. Jarry had a 2.66 GAA and a .909 SV% with the Penguins this season. Ouch.
Oilers Should Have Looked into Another Goalie
All right, so trading for Jordan Binnington or Sergei Bobrovsky wasn’t feasible, at least not right now. So, why not look into another goalie? The Oilers could have used another solid netminder, right?
When looking at backup Connor Ingram’s numbers, the “backup” really isn’t much of a backup. He’s sporting a 2.83 GAA and an .890 SV% in 17 games this season.
Those numbers easily make him the starting goalie for the Oilers. As such, Edmonton could have looked into finding another goalie to back him up.
But wait, the Oilers already have another goalie: Calvin Pickard.
Pickard became an afterthought when the club waived him in the middle of the season. He has not played in the AHL this season, likely allowing the veteran to run out the clock on his current contract.
With that in mind, how could an Ingram-Pickard tandem have looked like? Such an idea would never fly as long as Jarry is with the club.
Edmonton Stuck with Jarry
One of the factors likely driving the decision to trade Stuart Skinner was his impending free agency at the end of the season. Part of the thought process was that Skinner would have one more season to prove he’s an NHL-caliber netminder. Otherwise, the Oilers would let him go.
Instead of giving him that chance, the Oilers acted preemptively, bringing in Jarry, who has two more years on his contract at $5.375 million.
That contract looks like an albatross now. There’s no way anyone will take, even with retention on the Oilers’ part. Moving Jarry at this point would be virtually unreasonable given his cap hit.
Ultimately, the Oilers painted themselves into a corner. Unless Jarry comes up roses in the postseason, the team will face a series of questions during the offseason.
Nestor Quixtan Seasoned NHL analyst and baseball writer focused on covering clubs across each league with news, analysis, and insights. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Nestor’s singular experiences and background have enabled him to bring a different take on the sports world as a whole. Nestor’s fondness for baseball and hockey set the tone for his love and passion for writing about sports. More about Nestor Quixtan
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