Stan Bowman's reason for not upgrading his goalies revealed
The Edmonton Oilers are gearing up for their most important trade deadline in franchise history, and general manager Stan Bowman will be looking to put his stamp on the team.
Recently, it was announced that Evander Kane underwent successful surgery to repair his knee. While fans were hoping for a swift return in the new year, it appears that Evander Kane won't be ready to go until the post season.
With that being said, Stan Bowman will have over $5 million dollars in cap space to work with, and fans are eagerly awaiting to see what happens with the extra cash flow.
TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported that the Edmonton Oilers are exploring the market for a top-4 defender, but some fans still feel strongly about upgrading the Oilers skill between the pipes.
While some fans are calling for a change in net, Stan Bowman will be reluctant to do so for several reasons.
Stan Bowman's reason for not upgrading his goalies revealed
Dale Bochon from the Hockey Writers:
1) They're both affordable. Skinner is currently making $2.6 million while Pickard is only costing the team $850,000. That's good value for Bowman and the Oilers, and it offers the team more cap space to pursue a defenceman or possibly another forward.
2) Team Chemistry. Both Skinner and Pickard are well-liked by their teammates, and an NHL dressing room can be a fickle place if you start messing with team chemistry. Hockey is still a team sport after all, and the Oilers seem to have a tight group that works hard and sacrifices for each other. If you start changing the chemistry of a team, you can send things in the wrong direction quickly. That's why Bowman has to seriously contemplate whether or not he wants to risk upsetting the apple cart by bringing the wrong talent and mindset into the Oilers fold. That's especially true when it comes to the goaltenders.
Although Stuart Skinner had a slow start to the NHL season, he's finally settled things down, showcasing strong performances in net.
Stuart Skinner has also proven himself on the biggest stage, helping the Oilers get all the way to game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals.
As it stands, the Edmonton Oilers are better off utilizing Evander Kane's LTIR to secure some elite help on the blue line.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 11 | 397 ANSWERS Stan Bowman's reason for not upgrading his goalies revealed Do you think the Edmonton Oilers should trade for a better goaltender? | ||
| Yes | 208 | 52.4 % |
| No | 189 | 47.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
