The biggest problem of the Edmonton Oilers remains the same year after year and they need to improve!
Edmonton Oilers fans are once again facing familiar concerns about goaltending which is an issue that has been in the team's first two games of the 2024-25 season.
Despite high expectations for improvement, Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have particuraly struggle on the penalty kill. According to Matthew Panchyshyn, the Oilers lead the NHL in the fewest expected goals against but their goalies have been allowing goals at an alarming rate.
Stuart Skinner is expected to rebound because over the past two seasons, he has started 109 games and was seen as the future of the Oilers' crease. However, his save percentage dropped last season and concerns began to raise about his consistency. With only 124 career games under his belt, Stuart Skinner remains unproven and he's leaving some uncertainty about whether he can handle the starting role long term.
One of the big issue might be the one pointed out by fans and it's the performance of goaltenders under the watch of longtime goalie coach Dustin Schwartz. Over the years, many Oilers goalies have seen their play decline under him only to improve after leaving Edmonton. Stuart Skinner even took matters into his own hands last season by hiring an outside goalie coach for personal support and reflecting his desire to elevate his game beyond what the team could offer.
Veteran backup Calvin Pickard, who had a better save percentage last season, could potentially take on more responsibility to ease the load on Skinner. With two years left to his contract, Stuart Skinner need to raise his standard and be a better goalie for the franchise because without him, we don't stand a chance in the playoff run.
Source: Oilers Daily
Analytics Say Oilers Biggest Problem Is Unexpectedly Goaltending
