In a rare bit of in-game business, the Edmonton Oilers announced the signing of Jack Roslovic to a one-year, $1.5 million deal during their season opener. However, it wasn’t the timing that mattered; it was meant to be. Edmonton chose action over patience and secured a player they likely would have been pursuing for months.
“We talked about it a few weeks ago. The type of player we would be looking for around the trade deadline would be exactly this type,” General Stan Bowman explained during a break conversation. “He’s available now, he’s a free agent and we can sign him for a low fee. Rather than wait for what becomes available later, we think he could be a nice piece for our group right now.”
Related: Oilers signed UFA forward Jack Roslovic [Report]
That logic speaks volumes. For a team perpetually in win-now mode, Edmonton’s biggest challenge is often timing: offering help too late or holding on to a market that never goes their way. This time Bowman saw an opening and jumped.
This may not be good news for goaltender Stuart Skinner, who in the first game of the regular season gave Oilers management reasonable doubt that he is the man.
Roslovic isn’t a blockbuster signing, but he fills a real need: even scoring and pace. “We like guys with flexibility,” Bowman said. “He can play on the wing or in the middle and play with pace.” Meanwhile, the Oilers have been suffering from what some call a glaring need for goal for two seasons. Skinner had an otherwise solid game Wednesday night, but his whoops in the third period, where he didn’t react and play the puck, led to Blake Coleman scoring the tying goal. The Oilers got a point, but ultimately lost the game.
“If we can’t do that, we win the game. Two points,” said Skinner, who liked the way his team responded. “It was a bad decision, and it makes you look really bad…” he added.
The signing of Roslovic should set alarm bells ringing for Skinner
Roslovic’s move comes with logistical issues – Edmonton will need to free up space when Zach Hyman returns from LTIR – but that’s a problem Bowman appears to easily solve down the road. He wanted the player and said he could look back later in the season and kick himself for not placing a solid bet when he had the chance. The focus for Bowman now is on being one step ahead.
For Skinner, this means that his leash should not be very long. Mistakes like the one on Wednesday evening cannot happen. At least, not for this netminder. The Oilers will play it like a weird game and move on. Skinner himself is going to throw it. “I won’t think about it, no,” he said. “It happens. It’s probably the easiest solution I’ll make this year. A quick decision, throw it in the corner, that’s that.”
Still, the Oilers can’t give up easy points, one of which should have been the Battle of Alberta on opening night.
If the Roslovic deal indicates anything, it’s that this Oilers management group has no intention of sitting around and hoping for deadline miracles. Bowman’s message was clear: opportunity doesn’t wait — and this year, neither will Edmonton. That means Skinner will have to avoid blunders and communication errors if he doesn’t want to be the guy the Oilers want to replace.
Bowman basically just parted with two, maybe three useful pieces to land Roslovic. Skinner needs to know that the GM is willing to move on if he can’t get the job done.
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