Last season, the Edmonton Oilers finished one game short of the Stanley Cup when they lost in Game 7. The Florida Panthers took a 3-0 series lead, but the Oilers battled back to force the deciding game. It didn’t finish how the organization or fans wanted, but there was optimism that they’d finish the job this season. There are many questions about Stuart Skinner and the Oilers’ goaltending, but there are even more flaws as they enter the playoffs.
The 2024-25 season hasn’t gone as expected, and the Oilers have some massive reasons for concern after the trade deadline. The team didn’t have the salary cap space to make many moves, as Evander Kane plans to return before the postseason. Kane’s early return forced Edmonton’s front office to stay the course, as they couldn’t use his long-term injured reserve cap space.
Some more issues popped up earlier this week when Leon Draisaitl missed a game due to injury. That same game saw Connor McDavid leave with an ailment, and neither player has been in the lineup since. The Oilers already have some concerns with the roster, and these players at less than 100 percent are a massive issue. The hope is that a week off will return them to full health, but a two-month playoff grind looms.
The clip of McDavid, Draisaitl, Kane, and Trent Frederic congratulating their teammates after Saturday night’s win is a beacon of hope for the Oilers and their fans. All these players returning to the lineup for a playoff run is a good sign. However, the Oilers’ flaws could outweigh the positives when competing with the rest of the Western Conference.
Stuart Skinner is Oilers’ most significant flaw
Forget that Skinner led the Oilers to Game 7 of the Finals last season. His 2.45 goals-against average and .901 save percentage were acceptable, but it was far from an all-world goaltending performance. He also had a save percentage well below .900 in the first three games of the finals, which put them in a massive hole. He saved it with some good performances in Games 4-6, but the damage was already done by then. The winning goal he allowed in Game 7 was also ugly after facing just 21 shots.
One of the questions surrounding the Oilers entering this season was whether Skinner would be the goalie to lead them back. His numbers are only decreasing yearly, and 2024-25 has been the worst of his career. He is currently sporting a .895 save percentage and 2.87 goals-against average. The GAA is acceptable, but combining that with a lousy SV% is concerning. The stat means the Oilers are doing a good job limiting scoring opportunities by allowing just under three goals per game, but Skinner isn’t stopping enough shots.
Skinner has allowed three or more goals in five of his past six starts, but he has only faced more than 25 shots in one of those games. It’s becoming a nightly occurrence that Skinner faces in the low-20s of shots and only stops a number in the high teens. The Oilers prioritize playing better defense to limit scoring opportunities, and Skinner is not repaying them with good performances.
The emphasis on defense affects their offense, as they’ve scored more than three goals twice in their past 10 games.
Offense is part of the problem
Skinner is the most critical flaw for the Oilers, but their offense isn’t helping. The blame can go to having to play tighter defense, but some of the team’s top offensive weapons aren’t getting it done. It has been a down year by McDavid’s standards, but significant fall-offs from Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have also been an issue.
Hyman has 25 goals and 17 assists this season, which started with a significant goal drought. The Oilers assumed Hyman would be a star this year, coming off a campaign with 54 goals and 23 assists. If McDavid misses even more time with his injury, Hyman will be lucky to record even half the number of goals he had last season.
Nugent-Hopkins has declined since he recorded 104 points in 2022-23. The number dropped to 67 last season, and is on pace for just 56 this year. To be fair to Nugent-Hopkins, he has three-point games in three of his past four, which includes a hat trick in the 5-4 win over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night. However, looking at it with a glass half empty approach, his points pace would be significantly worse if he didn’t have nine points in his past four games. If he can’t maintain a better pace, a four-game span in the middle of March won’t matter much to the Oilers.
It was unlikely that the Oilers’ newcomers would solve their offensive depth issue entirely, but Edmonton would’ve liked to see more production. Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson joined the team in the offseason but haven’t lived up to the hype. Skinner has 24 points in 60 games, while Arvidsson has 22 in 55. It could be a short run if the offense doesn’t do more in the playoffs.
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