The Edmonton Oilers look nothing like the team that steamrolled the Dallas Stars in last year’s Western Conference Final. The shellacking Edmonton laid on Dallas ended up costing Peter DeBoer his job behind the Stars’ bench.
Fast-forward to this season, and the circumstances are much different. On Tuesday night, the Stars pounded the Oilers 8-3. The game was 4-0 after 20 minutes, and sent Edmonton starting goalie Stuart Skinner off the ice.
Following the game, Oilers captain Connor McDavid said all the right things, pointing the thumbs inward. McDavid pinned the blame on himself, sparing his goalies the embarrassment of giving up four goals apiece.
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski quoted McDavid:
“I really feel like goaltending is a team thing. I don’t care who it is: When the team in front of them isn’t playing up to their standards, tough for a goalie to look good. I felt bad for both of them tonight.”
McDavid is right on all ends. The Oilers have been terrible defensively. Stalwarts like Mattias Ekholm and Brett Kulak have looked ill throughout the season. Evan Bouchard’s defensive game has been straight out of a Stephen King novel, while Darnell Nurse has shown his usual up-and-down trend.
So, the Oilers hit rock bottom on Tuesday night. They were embarrassed by the team they plowed through in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Edmonton Oilers are tied with the San Jose Sharks with 25 points despite playing two more games.
The situation is desperate, and there’s no end in sight.
Oilers Must Get Defensive Game in Order
The Oilers’ offense has been mostly consistent this season. They’re 17th in the league with 3.08 goals per game. Edmonton is also third in the league with a 27.9% power play.
But it’s the defense that’s been the massive letdown. The Oilers are 30th in the league with a 3-72 GAA and 32nd in the league with an .868 SV%. Those numbers have been a combination of the poor defense in front of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, and the goalies themselves.
The eye test shows just how many grade-A scoring chances the Oilers defense surrenders each game. There’s no way any goalie can keep their team in the game when facing so many good chances.
But a share of the blame also goes to the goalies. Skinner and Pickard have shown an inability to make crucial saves when their team needs them the most. Time and time again, the Oilers’ netminders allow soft goals that derail any sort of momentum the club can muster.
Time to Bring in Connor Ingram
The Oilers claimed goalie Connor Ingram this season following his exit from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Since then, Ingram has been in the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors. In seven games, he’s notched a 3.61 GAA and an .871 SV%.
Those aren’t exactly mind-shocking numbers, but good for AHL standards. With the Oilers grasping for answers, bringing in Ingram would serve as a reset to some measure. Any sort of change must come this season.
Since trading for a legit number-one starter isn’t an option, why not give Ingram a chance? He couldn’t be that much worse than Skinner or Pickard. With the way things are going, Edmonton may have no other choice.
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