The Edmonton Oilers have been criticized for years as a team with too many passengers and only a few stars. The argument is that, as good as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are, it’s not enough. And, when you factor in the fact that Edmonton is trying again to push without an elite starting goalie, it’s hard to disagree with some who call the Oilers a team that isn’t well-rounded — and never will be.
When asked if he saw anything in that game that makes you think there’s no way the Oilers can get back to a Cup Final? Former NHLer Tyson Nash didn’t hold back. Whether it’s the goaltending, the attention to detail, all of it he had a thought on what’s really going on there.
Tyson Nash responded:
“I mean, obviously their power play is next level, it always has been,” he said. However, he quickly pointed out the issue that most have identified as the organization’s real weakness — goaltending.
“But when they had Stuart Skinner as their starting goaltender as a rookie, that just doesn’t work. How the Edmonton Oilers haven’t gone out and gotten a number-one goalie is absolutely mind-boggling to me. You’ve got the two best players in the world, and you don’t have a number-one goaltender? Last year, you’re looking at Skinner and Pickard in game six, and they don’t know who their starter is?”
He went on to say that teams like Florida and Tampa Bay don’t pay attention to the backup because the starter is elite.
The depth is also a problem, according to Nash. Noting that the stars often cancel each other out in a playoff series, he argued that it’s the depth that wins the Stanley Cup for a team. It’s the teams with the better bottom-six players who ultimately win, and he said, “I just think they lacked big time in that area.”
Is he right? Can the Oilers win a Cup without a legitimate starter and less depth than some of the other contending teams? And if not, what would you be willing to sacrifice to get the elite netminder Edmonton might need?
Next: Oilers’ Paul Coffey Comments on Rocky Knoblauch Relationship Rumors
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