According to The Athletic, the Edmonton Oilers’ goaltending situation is beyond not pretty. This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, but to see them ranked 31st out of 32 teams might be a bit of a shocker.
A recent article that ranked all NHL goalie tandems examined several factors while also weighing changes over time. For example, because the NHL is tracking shots differently — and NHL shooters are just more skilled — the leaguewide average save percentage this season is down to .896, the lowest it has been in 33 years.
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One would think that an overall lowering of save percentages, even among the NHL’s elite backstops might help the average goalie. That didn’t help the Oilers, however.
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The New York Islanders ranked at the top of the list with the best goaltending tandem. Ilya Sorokin and David Rittich were seen as the cream of the crop. At the bottom were the Ottawa Senators. Jesse Granger, the author of the article, wrote: “Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark and Leevi Meriläinen have combined for -36.3 GSAx. Not only is that the worst in the NHL, but it’s also more than twice as bad as the next closest tandem.”
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The Oilers? They ranked just above the Senators.
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Granger writes:
“The Oilers have started four different goalies this season, and none have a save percentage north of .900 or positive goals saved above expected. Edmonton’s defending certainly plays its part in that, but the goalies haven’t played well enough themselves either.”
The goaltenders Granger speaks of are Stuart Skinner, Calvin Pickard, Tristan Jarry, and Connor Ingram.
Skinner was traded because the Oilers felt he couldn’t be relied upon to get them through a grueling playoff run. Pickard’s numbers were so poor at the start of the season, he was eventually placed on waivers and went unclaimed. Jarry came in as part of the Skinner trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ingram was traded for when the Utah Mammoth decided to move on because personal off-ice health issues led to the need for a fresh start.
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Granger adds, “Since he was traded to Edmonton, Tristan Jarry has posted a .900 save percentage or better in only four of his 14 starts. For comparison, he did it eight times in 14 starts with the Penguins prior to the trade.”
This isn’t all on the goalies. The Oilers’ defense has been hideous for much of the season. It’s been an issue the team has tried to address with the additions of Connor Murphy and a strong defensive forward in Jason Dickinson. Edmonton even brought former assistant coach Paul Coffey back to help right the ship on the blue line.
Unfortunately, until all that is sorted out, the Skinner-for-Jarry swap hasn’t looked like a win for the Oilers. Skinner has played well in Pittsburgh: interestingly, they ranked 18th on this list.
Does this 31st-place ranking feel fair? Or is the goaltending better than that in cities like Vancouver, where Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen have struggled? What about in St. Louis, where Joel Hofer has played OK, but Jordan Binnington has been the subject of trade rumors most of the season?
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It certainly has to be better than the mess in Toronto, where Anthony Stolarz, Joseph Woll, and Dennis Hildeby have contributed to a disaster of a season for the Maple Leafs.
One thing is clear: if the Oilers don’t get better goaltending and Jarry and Ingram don’t find another gear, seeing the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final for a third-straight season is likely a pipe dream.
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