The scouting staff has been a real disappointment on a number of fronts. It is ultimately as important/more important than the GM position. They have the responsibility of suggesting moves to the management team. You are right in saying that you must be "proactive" rather than "reactive."
I am not at all sure this is the case. There is very little to gain by "playing games with the media" in this way. How does speculation that he wants to play help their case. If the Oilers make a deal that requires that space now with this speculation in place it will look even more suspicious to the league.
Jones for Montour is probably a saw off.
I agree but just because they are close to a playoff spot
Dustin Schwartz decided that Jack Campbell was the right goalie to hitch our wagon to. That was a franchise-altering mistake.
100 percent we need to improve, but that is an offseason thing. We know we will add a depth D (doesn't improve the roster) and a middle 6 forward.
(Forgot to multi-quote and include @frag2) It’s like these Oiler propaganda media clowns think we don’t have memories or can’t find the real story on the internet and are all peons.
I love how the article basically makes the point that the Oilers suck at developing goalies and they’ll probably improve elsewhere without once mentioning Schwartz.
A tale of past regrets that the Edmonton Oilers ought to avoid repeating: 9 Things
Before the Edmonton Oilers decide to move on from Stuart Skinner, they ought to review the franchise's past historyedmontonjournal.com
1.I was in Rexall Place for most of Devan Dubnyk’s starts as an Edmonton Oiler. So, I lived through the exciting early days and the heady 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons when it looked as though this franchise had developed their very own home-grown starting goaltender for the first time since Grant Fuhr. But then it all fell apart. 2013-14 paled comparison to the couple campaigns previous for Dubnyk. His SV% went from .921 to .850 and fans panicked. Seemingly every night on our drive home we would hear callers on the post-game show lament that “Dubnyk had to have that one”, “We will never win with him” and “Trade him”. Sound familiar? The was the seed that sprouted the infamous quote from Craig MacTavish: “If you have to ask the question, you know the answer.” Not long after, Dubnyk was indeed traded.
As we know now, after Dubnyk hit rock bottom, he then more than resurrected his career. He went on a run that delivered six consecutive seasons with SV%’s over .913. Dubnyk won a Masterton and earned four all-star berths. He was a Vezina finalist in 2014-15. And as for the franchise that had drafted and developed Dubnyk, it became a depressing “what could have been.” Fast forward to 2025 and Stuart Skinner. That is how long it took the franchise to develop another goalie close to Dubnyk’s quality. I wish Oilers fans would reflect on that experience with Dubnyk vis-à-vis Stuart Skinner. Remember: Dubnyk was 26 when he hit his rough spot. Which is coincidentally exactly how old Stuart Skinner is today. He is still a relatively young goalie, on a value contract.
Yet, almost nightly, these days, I read calls for the Edmonton Oilers to replace Skinner.
Well…be careful what you wish for.
Completely ignoring the fact Dubnyk reinvented himself after falling rock bottom and having Sean Burke perform CPR on his career
Think Schwartz can do that?
Why is media so fixated on sheltering Skinner? We just want a goalie to push him [maybe even usurp] because his inconsistency is costing the Oilers points. Plus Dubnyk is way more athletic than Skinner. Skinner is just big and heavy.
Our management has largely been complete and utter failures since the moment we drafted McD. Starting with our complete and utter failure at drafting. Sadly, we are getting into the territory of having wasted the career of the most skilled player to ever play the game
The reporting doesn't make sense. Some people are saying, maybe incorrectly, that the team knows he'll be out till some point in the playoffs, while others are reporting that the team is considering moving him.
Some different perspective in there I guess. If that’s the case though. Why are we rolling with cal pickard and the backup? His strong last game not withstanding, the guy has bounced in and out of the league for years. There are veteran starters now in backup roles around the league that could have helped support and shelter and mentor Skinner even more. Guys like quick are even available now. But should have been put in place as soon as Campbell was sent down for good.A tale of past regrets that the Edmonton Oilers ought to avoid repeating: 9 Things
Before the Edmonton Oilers decide to move on from Stuart Skinner, they ought to review the franchise's past history
1.I was in Rexall Place for most of Devan Dubnyk’s starts as an Edmonton Oiler. So, I lived through the exciting early days and the heady 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons when it looked as though this franchise had developed their very own home-grown starting goaltender for the first time since Grant Fuhr. But then it all fell apart. 2013-14 paled comparison to the couple campaigns previous for Dubnyk. His SV% went from .921 to .850 and fans panicked. Seemingly every night on our drive home we would hear callers on the post-game show lament that “Dubnyk had to have that one”, “We will never win with him” and “Trade him”. Sound familiar? The was the seed that sprouted the infamous quote from Craig MacTavish: “If you have to ask the question, you know the answer.” Not long after, Dubnyk was indeed traded.
As we know now, after Dubnyk hit rock bottom, he then more than resurrected his career. He went on a run that delivered six consecutive seasons with SV%’s over .913. Dubnyk won a Masterton and earned four all-star berths. He was a Vezina finalist in 2014-15. And as for the franchise that had drafted and developed Dubnyk, it became a depressing “what could have been.” Fast forward to 2025 and Stuart Skinner. That is how long it took the franchise to develop another goalie close to Dubnyk’s quality. I wish Oilers fans would reflect on that experience with Dubnyk vis-à-vis Stuart Skinner. Remember: Dubnyk was 26 when he hit his rough spot. Which is coincidentally exactly how old Stuart Skinner is today. He is still a relatively young goalie, on a value contract.
Yet, almost nightly, these days, I read calls for the Edmonton Oilers to replace Skinner.
Well…be careful what you wish for.
Completely ignoring the fact Dubnyk reinvented himself after falling rock bottom and having Sean Burke perform CPR on his career
Think Schwartz can do that?
Why is media so fixated on sheltering Skinner? We just want a goalie to push him [maybe even usurp] because his inconsistency is costing the Oilers points. Plus Dubnyk is way more athletic than Skinner. Skinner is just big and heavy.
Well, the easy answer is the uncertainty of the quality of the player returning in the postseason. Furthermore, if there's a current market for this player, why pass up an opportunity to move on from the player's second year?
There may be uncertainty, but you aren't losing anything if you keep him. Either you get the player you're looking to acquire with his $5 million cap space, or you get that same player AND Kane, who may not be 100% but still an effective player.
The people that are saying that the team knows aren't reliable. All of the actual insiders and industry experts are saying that Kane wants to play reg season games and is keeping his status a mystery and holding up the team's ability to do anything at the TDL, and there is huge concern within the organization because they don't know wtf is going on. Which is why, now, the team is also starting to do its due diligence around potentially trading him.
Prob been answered - sorry to lazy to look up! - but obviously he can't go to Bakersfield for a C stint without cap implications correct?
For the record, I 100% agree that if he's suggesting that he's going to come back with only 2 weeks left, the Oilers should ship him out yesterday.
I've heard he can, but it has to be approved by the league.
Well, you are potentially losing something. The opportunity to remove his salary from next year's payroll.
