Actually a couple of factually incorrect points. Toronto wanted to resign Campbell. He felt insulted bumy by their low ball offer and genius Holland agreed 5 X 5 with him. Dubas was then scrambling to find a starter.
Also broissot is an excellent example of a goalie under Schwartz that failed miserably here and found success elsewhere.
I can imagine skinner with the right coach is going to look like dubnyk did when he left Edmonton.
Coaching actually does matter and Paul coffey proved it taking over from Dave Manson and turning the Oilers into a defensive powerhouse.
Even if you're going to defend Schwartz, like you are, has he done such an amazing job to not try someone new in 10+ years?
The net effect is Campbell left the Leafs and likely no-one other than the Oilers were going to bet $25 million on a 30+ goaltender with such a slight resume. We saw quickly how this was a colossal bad and costly decision.
Broissot like the other three I mentioned were all junior prospect goaltenders coached by Schwartz who are became NHL goaltenders. Skinner and Hart specifically became NHL starting goaltenders early in their development. Jary too established himself as a #1 goaltender. Broissot, a 6rd round draft pick has beat the odds to become an NHL journeyman back-up. The Oilers have turned over multiple coaches since Broissot played games in Edmonton. The issue was always bigger than goaltending with huge variance in play notably horrible goal suppression and team defending.
Dubnyk, a first round pedigree goaltender, was given up on too early in Edmonton. Roadkill again on a perpetual rebuilding team that is textbook case study of how to not rebuild a hockey organization. Dubnyk took like three organizations to rebuild his confidence and game before realizing his high pedigree potential. The Oilers failed a lot of prospects playing above their abilities. Dubnyk is part of that roadkill as the final line of defense behind no defense, bad teams.
Coaching team defense and goaltending are too different things. Different positions, different skill sets and specialization required. Goaltending is probably the most mentally demanding position within sports with the red light going on or not behind them. Some fans will see the red light go on and blame the goalie without seeing the breakdowns that happen leading to the goal. Not surprising we've seen the goaltending improve and follow the team's renewed commitment to defending following each recent head coach fired with Woodcroft replacing Tippett and now Knoblauch replacing Woodcroft. Looks like things have finally stuck with this group in thanks to Coffey and Stewart under Knoblauch. Goal suppression and team defending were manta 1 when Tippett onboarded the organization. It's finally clicked in two head coaches later.
I'm not 'defending' Schwartz as much as asserting some facts within a coaching position that we see very little about and which requires technical support, confidence and motivation, load management, mental and physiological training and support. It's a position that doesn't exist in a vacuum and correlates often (at least in the Oilers case) with quality of team defending in front of their netminder. Fact is Skinner was to be a two-three year backup grooming to take over for Campbell through late state winning years. Instead he's kept his head above water - regular season results - in an absolutely white hot environment ready to run at winning a Cup. He was a mid-level prospect with flaws (not athletic, admittedly needed to work on his mental game, conditioning, and other areas) who is their defaulted #1 ride or die. I'm a bit amazed he hasn't cracked under this responsibility. But the team and coaching staff have trust in him.
Per Ian Clark's 7 goaltender foundational skills, I don't see Skinner having the natural athletic ability that he identifies as a pre-requisite for strong NHL goaltenders. He's still a work in progress with the mental strength and resiliency. But he seems to be a sponge for learning. I'm not confident Skinner would have much unrealized latent ability to blossom under different coaching.
I'm highly critical of the organization's approach to goaltender for over a decade it's been an afterthought trying to recycle old, largely average goaltenders and throwing mediocre draft picks hoping one might eventually make it. It's been a failing strategy that's now placed all eggs in the Stuart Skinner basket. But again to restate, Schwartz has succeeded in turning a pipeline of raw, junior goaltenders into NHL goalies. He just isn't a miracle worker who can turn retreads like Koskinen and Campbell into steady, reliable goaltenders.
Where I would consider firing Schwartz, as I've stated before, is his part with Brad Holland's pro scouting department in landing on Jack Campbell as this team's solution for the winning window years. But his development protege Skinner warts and all saved this organization's bacon by stepping into the void.
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