Edmonton Oilers Talk: Goaltending Rumors Abound!

In the highly anticipated NHL season, the Edmonton Oilers were expected to soar as Stanley Cup contenders. However, reality has delivered a harsh blow to their aspirations. Despite possessing two of the league’s best players, they find themselves languishing at 2-8-1, firmly rooted in the NHL’s basement. So, what’s gone wrong for the Oilers?

Goaltending Nightmare

Ah, the Oilers’ perennial Achilles’ heel, their utterly dreadful goaltending. Sporting a save percentage barely scraping the barrel at .858, reminiscent of a bygone era where mullets and neon ruled, both the demoted-to-AHL Jack Campbell and the struggling Stuart Skinner can’t seem to find their way out of a paper bag, let alone make crucial stops. These pitiful numbers don’t just showcase the goaltenders’ epic fails; they perfectly encapsulate the team’s shattered confidence, like a fragile vase dropped from a skyscraper.

Defensive Debacle

Oh, Edmonton’s defensive strategy, masterminded by the esteemed Jay Woodcroft, has become the talk of the town. This oh-so-perfect zone defense, a tactic used by every other successful team in the league, apparently demands “communication skills”. Alas, these communication mishaps have turned their once-promising defense into a comedy of errors, providing opponents with a front-row seat to their disastrous misreads. It’s almost poetic, really, how their passive defense crumbles like a house of cards against teams with a semblance of offensive creativity.

Offensive Ebb

Ah, the dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, once hailed as saviors, now find themselves in a rather perplexing situation. McDavid’s dazzling controlled zone entries have mysteriously vanished, and Leon’s trigger-happy shooting tendencies have taken a vacation, leaving the Oilers’ rush offense in shambles.

As for their power play, well, it seems to have lost its sparkle, much like watching paint dry in slow motion. The offensive magic that once defined them has now faded into the abyss of mediocrity, leaving fans wondering if they accidentally tuned into a rerun of a bygone era. Bravo, Oilers, for keeping the suspense alive with your disappearing acts. A round of applause, indeed.

A Dire Situation

In the midst of McDavid’s mysterious injury saga, the Oilers must be praying for a miracle to salvage what’s left of their crumbling dreams. The Stanley Cup, once a glittering prize within reach, now feels like a distant fantasy slipping through their fingers. The team’s star-studded aspirations have been replaced by the harsh reality of mediocrity, leaving fans wondering if they’ll ever witness their heroes hoisting the Cup.

In the Oilers’ somber journey through shattered dreams, their struggle feels like a cruel blend of tragedy and farce. Can they somehow patch up their defense, inject vitality into their stagnant offense, and resurrect the echoes of past triumphs? Time mercilessly slips through their fingers, taunting them at every turn, while the relentless pressure threatens to obliterate the last flicker of hope. Will they break free from this harrowing nightmare and rekindle their Stanley Cup dreams? The answer remains uncertain, with the odds decidedly stacked against them.

Trade Rumors

“I know they haven’t been aggressive to this point,” said Frank Seravalli on the possibility of acquiring a new goalie. “In internal conversations, they’ve probably compiled a list of potential targets. I don’t get excited about the names that have been mentioned maybe outside of Carter Hart. The Oilers recognise that getting to that point of getting a new goaltender is going to cost them. If possible, They would prefer to keep their powder dry to fix some of the other issues.” – Frank Seravalli Daily Faceoff via Oilersnation

Two things here with Frank, he thinks they “probably” have compiled a list or potential targets? What the f*ck is that? Who even lets that come out of their mouth if they’re considered to be one of the league’s connected guys? Of course they have a list. They’ve had a list for probably three years since before Campbell conned them into signing him.
The other thing is, if they’re keeping their powder dry, that means they’re willing to see if things regress to the mean and that might see them hire a different coach because if the losing continues somebody has to pay the price. It could mean Holland gets “encouraged” to move upstairs earlier than expected. Anything really to appease the mob.
Just on a side note, speaking of appeasing the mob, do you think we see somebody getting benched tonight. Both Mark Spector and Ryan Rishaug have lost faith in Jay Woodcroft and they’re both hammering him in the post-gamers about holding players accountable…

“I do think they are contemplating things, looking at several options. There’ve been reports of Jordan Binnington, but unless the Blues are giving up on the season, they need to replace him and won’t be taking Campbell. Binnington’s also a $6-million cap hit, which would take quite a bit of finagling. Not impossible, but challenging. They’ve talked to Montreal — which doesn’t need a goalie — about the possibility of Jake Allen, but I don’t sense anything imminent. Watching Juuse Saros almost single-handedly beat the Flames on Tuesday reminds that he’s the true prize, but in addition to any return, it might cost the team an 18-wheeler full of Alberta crude and media-meal perogies.” – Elliotte Friedman, 32 Thoughts

I don’t see STL dealing Binnington, nor do I see the Habs leaving their net up to Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau, and unless Edmonton is offering Draisaitl to Nashville; there’s no way Saros is coming to Edmonton.

“We will see where this goes, including if the Oilers look at one major trade to deal with multiples issues. For example, a goalie and a defenceman. Or, a goalie and a depth forward with some edge. Another thing to remember: Canada is on a lot of no-trade lists.” – Elliotte Friedman, 32 Thoughts

Are the Oilers dealing Darnell Nurse or Nugent-Hopkins? Those are the only players I can really see where they’d be able to upgrade in net AND get another skater in return with their cap status in the sewer like it is.

“Pagnotta of The Fourth Period tweeted: “So, when do the Oilers give the Flyers a call and go hard after hometown kid Carter Hart?” That was followed up by a post from Anthony Di Marco that noted, “PHI has been willing to listen on Hart and have made it known they’re willing to take on unideal contracts (Campbell?) for the right price.” – THW (11/9/2023)

Yeah, because grabbing the hometown kid has never backfired in Edmonton…

“Ryan Rishaug of TSN talked about the goaltending situation the latest Got Yer’ Back podcast and wonder if the Oilers might look at Yaroslav Askarov from the Predators.” – THW (11/9/2023)

I talked about this yesterday. If the Preds aren’t dealing Saros and the overwhelming sentiment is that he’ls going to re-sign in Nashville, are they willing to listen on Askarov? He’s a very highly regarded up and coming netminder. I wouldn’t mind if the Oilers traded for him and ran with Skinner and him if it meant they could use the cap savings (if there was any in such a deal) to upgrade the defense.

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