Edmonton Oilers fans think that Stuart Skinner is way better than he really is

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Will Bloggs
October 24, 2024 (3:07 PM)

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Stuart Skinner's season debut performance has started discussion among Edmonton Oilers fans and the NHL community particularly regarding the difference in the perception of his play.

According to Frank Seravalli from Daily Faceoff, the Oilers fans hold Skinner in high regard when you compare to the rest of the league.

Frank Seravalli noted that Skinner's play is not consistent at all and he has stretches where he performs like a top-tier goalie followed by games where he struggles. This lack of consistency is why he isn't viewed as good as everybody thinks by the hockey community.

«When you have an offense that starts through the first four or five games and is as explosive as it is but doesn't score, it's okay to ask your goalie to make a save and he doesn't,» he said. «It's like when one side of the team is broken, he's not picking it up. There's never this balance that exists. It's either all bad or no bad, and that's also another kind of problematic part of his game. That might be a fluke, it might be a coincidence but that's part of the reason I think why he gets more blame from the fan base. When you don't score and you're not getting the run support, it's okay to go out and pitch a gem.»

Matt Larkin from Daily Faceoff also remarked that the Oilers' performance last season correlated directly with their goaltenders' save percentages. Despite the Oilers maintaining a strong expected goals-for percentage at 5-on-5, Stuart Skinner's game significantly impacted their results.

Frank Seravalli discussed the pressure on Skinner to balance his highs and lows and suggested that experience could help Skinner improve his overall consistency. He also mentioned how the Oilers' powerful offense could occasionally struggle to score and during those moments, the team expects their goalie to step up and this is something Skinner has some issues with.

The Oilers' high aspirations this season, which is a potential return to the Stanley Cup Final, and it will depend on Skinner reaching a ceiling in his game.