Player Discussion Stuart Skinner

[Fourier]

You're missing a few key points.

Skinner is not a technically sound goalie. Just like Dan Cloutier.


What we need is a "technically sound goalie" who doesn't necessarily have to be Vezina caliber.
The year Corey Crawford won the cup, he was 6th in save percentage.

Everyone knew he wasn't an elite goalie. But he was reliable, and consistent, and he put up MONSTROUS numbers behind an incredible defense.

His numbers are high because of the team defense in front of him. Not him standing on his head making jaw-dropping saves like Price or Lundquist.
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Chris Osgood, is another "technically solid" goalie who brought consistency.
He wasn't Patrick Roy, he wasn't Hasek, he wasn't Brodeur.

He was just a consistent goalie who backstopped one of the all-time greatest teams to a few cups.
He didn't need to make the flashy saves, he didn't need to handle the puck. He just needed to be a solid goalie that didn't kill his team:

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I'm honestly not sure if Gibson is the answer. But there's no way in hell we can be sitting on Skinner for the 3rd year in a row thinking that this is the best we can ever hope for.

He's a below-average goalie who has their numbers pumped by playing behind a VERY stacked team.

Manny Legacy was CLEARLY the weak link on an insanely stacked team. They put old-man Osgood back in net 3 years later and won the cup, and ran it back again for another finals appearance.


Stuart Skinner IS Manny Legacy. He could be a backup to Dom Hasek on a cup winner, but he's not able to win one as a starter.

You stated "Crawford was reliable and consistent". The latter is not only true but is exactly what the Oilers need in a goalie. Over the last three years the Oilers have won well over 80% of their games when they have league average or better goaltending. They don't need guys to steal a game often so long as they just give them a chance to win.

I have used QS% (Quality start percentage). It is the percentage of games a goalie has league average or better sv%. Over .600 is considered to be good. Under .500 is viewed as bad. In the years that Crawford won the cup he had .679 and .667 QS% over the year. This year Skinner was .500. And he was under .500 for much of the year.

 

[rielledup]

I see a lot of people really going after Bowman for not getting a better goalie in the off-season but is that really fair? Skinner was a decent goalie last year during the season and playoffs ( middle of the pack goals saved above expected during season and playoffs) and they got to within 1 goal of the cup with him in net. Outside of Ulmark the goalies that mightve been available came with their own question marks and were far from guarantees to be any better.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

I see a lot of people really going after Bowman for not getting a better goalie in the off-season but is that really fair? Skinner was a decent goalie last year during the season and playoffs ( middle of the pack goals saved above expected during season and playoffs) and they got to within 1 goal of the cup with him in net. Outside of Ulmark the goalies that mightve been available came with their own question marks and were far from guarantees to be any better.

Anyone with a brain knew Blackwood was a better goalie than Skinner.

 

[rielledup]

Anyone with a brain knew Blackwood was a better goalie than Skinner.

Based on what? He was just ok last year and almost identical goals saved above expected and had some crappy seasons before that.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Based on what? He was just ok last year and almost identical goals saved above expected and had some crappy seasons before that.

If you just took time to watch his game rather than just stats watch you could tell he’s just the way more capable goalie. There isn’t one thing Skinner is better at. He played on bad teams and it’s not surprising at all his numbers are great on the avs.

There obviously is risk still but the Oilers needed to take that risk.

The leafs and Avs fixed their goaltending because they recognized it was a problem and then took action. Both things the Oilers failed to do. It’s just an excuse saying no goalies were available.

 

[McDrai]

I’ve never seen a goalie get so much leash in my life. Time after time he shits the bed but we keep carting his fat ass out there.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I see a lot of people really going after Bowman for not getting a better goalie in the off-season but is that really fair? Skinner was a decent goalie last year during the season and playoffs ( middle of the pack goals saved above expected during season and playoffs) and they got to within 1 goal of the cup with him in net. Outside of Ulmark the goalies that mightve been available came with their own question marks and were far from guarantees to be any better.

I did not consider him good in last year's playoffs except for parts of the Dallas series and definitely in the last game of that series. He had really good stretches in the regular season including during our near record win streak, but this season and most of the last playoffs he has been crap.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

I see a lot of people really going after Bowman for not getting a better goalie in the off-season but is that really fair? Skinner was a decent goalie last year during the season and playoffs ( middle of the pack goals saved above expected during season and playoffs) and they got to within 1 goal of the cup with him in net. Outside of Ulmark the goalies that mightve been available came with their own question marks and were far from guarantees to be any better.

Well we could have looked for a 1B. A lot of us saw the signs with Skinner last season.

Stu almost single handedly lost us the Vancouver series

 

[fireantz]

I agree we have to move on from Stu cuz no way he plays with confidence in Edmonton going forward. The problem is ALL the potential replacement have warts of their own or will cost more assets and cap space than we have available.

 

[GrumpyKoala]

I see a lot of people really going after Bowman for not getting a better goalie in the off-season but is that really fair? Skinner was a decent goalie last year during the season and playoffs ( middle of the pack goals saved above expected during season and playoffs) and they got to within 1 goal of the cup with him in net. Outside of Ulmark the goalies that mightve been available came with their own question marks and were far from guarantees to be any better.

No, Stuart Skinner haven't been decent last year.

He have historically bad playoff stats
The eye test suggests he should not be trusted
The team had to overcome his bad performances
He was constantly pulling out of games

Bowman took a decision to entrust Skinner when all sort of data points were available and it was an horrendous one.

Not everyone is qualified to do a proper analysis of what constitute the basis of good goaltending, but oh God, anyone with half a brain could see that a million miles away.

We reap what we sow.

 

[Leafshater67]

It shocks me to see that there are STILL people defending Skinner. He needs to be banished to the AHL, he’s terrible.

On what planet is a team gonna win with a goalie with a career .880 save percentage in the playoffs? It sure ain’t this one.

The Dan Cloutier cloning experiment has gone on too long. I’m in total shock that they continue defending this guy. He hasn’t done anything and he’s never looked good. Launch him into the sun

 

[GrumpyKoala]

Be be fair, it's a bit insulting to Dan Cloutier

Edmonton defense is astronomically better that what he got.

 

[MessierThanThou]

Be be fair, it's a bit insulting to Dan Cloutier

Edmonton defense is astronomically better that what he got.

It's open for debate as to how far his Canucks could've gone. I don't think anyone on here believes that the Cup wasn't ours in 2023 and 2024 with a better goalie than Stu.