The Edmonton Oilers will reportedly be moving on from Dustin Schwartz as their goaltending coach this summer. A mainstay in the organization since 2014, the Oilers reportedly let his contract lapse when it expired at the end of June, marking the end of an era in the Oilers’ organization.
What is next for the Oilers and Dustin Schwartz
Schwartz has been around goaltending departments for a long time. The former Medicine Hat Tiger and Red Deer Rebel spent five seasons playing for the University of Alberta Golden Bears before working as a goaltending coach for the Spruce Grove Saints of the AJHL. He then spent time with the Edmonton Oil Kings in the same role, serving the WHL as a goaltending advisor for several years.
He then split time between the Oil King and Edmonton Oilers, moving full-time to be the Goalie Coach in 2019–20, where he has been ever since.
The challenge with Schwartz has been outcomes. While he can’t possibly be held accountable for every single goalie failure that this team has seen in the last decade, the fact that not one has been able to claim the starter’s net full-time since Mike Smith has been an issue. As good (relatively) as Stuart Skinner has been, the fact that he has struggled with consistency as much as he has points as much to his struggles as it does to the organization.
At the end of the day, it’s easier to get rid of a coach than it is to replace players, and it seems as though the Oilers are going this route. There will undoubtedly be several names thrown around as replacements, but one name that has gained traction is Mike Smith. The former Oilers netminder has since retired from the NHL and played some of his best hockey in Edmonton. Getting the fiery netminder back would be very on-brand for this organization.
While Schwartz has had a rocky tenure, the fact that he was with the organization as long as he was, he will likely be with a new club as soon as he wants to be. This is far from the end of his career, and we look forward to seeing if he repeats the same results wherever he ends up next.
