Oilers social account calls on GM to make good on goalie promise

Through the first month of the season, the Edmonton Oilers’ goaltending situation has become a growing concern – and fans are losing patience. The One Oilers social media account has called on the team’s general manager to make good on a promise made to the goaltender at the start of the season.

“Bowman said if the goaltending wasn’t good enough, it would be addressed. This is not good enough. Address it,” wrote @OilersDailyy on X (formerly Twitter). The call for Bowman to back up his words comes after another last-minute extra-time loss, with Skinner conceding three unanswered goals in the third period and extra time. The loss wasn’t entirely on Skinner, as several Oilers were responsible for the New York Rangers’ comeback, but Edmonton could have used a save.

The Oilers talked about adding a new goaltender on July 1 – and never did. The team then went and traded for Connor Ingram, who is in the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors.

Skinner and Pickard have battled for the Oilers

Starter Stuart Skinner finished October with an .896 save percentage and 2.59 goals-against average, while backup Calvin Pickard struggled even more with an SV% of .846 and 3.50 GAA. Those numbers are simply not good enough for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, especially after general manager Stan Bowman and CEO Jeff Jackson acknowledged over the summer that improving goaltending was something the team would like to do if the opportunity arose.

There are several reasons why the Oilers feel disjointed and frustrated with a 5-4-3 record this season. It is unfair to blame only the goalkeepers. Evan Bouchard is minus-9 and playing some of the worst hockey of his NHL career, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for the Oilers but is a minus-8, and Mattias Ekholm is minus-6. Connor McDavid has only scored three goals this season and seems like he’s trying to do too much, while Leon Draisaitl has been good at times and frustrating to watch at others.

Still, the end result remains the same: Edmonton’s goal scorers rank near the bottom of the league. Whether it’s a trade for a name that is a clear upgrade for a starter, fans are calling for management to take action. The problem is that the Oilers don’t have the resources or money to trade for a goaltending stud.

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