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Oilers vs Kraken - McDavid Returns + Trade Deadline |
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The Edmonton Oilers had a strong 3 game showing in Conner McDavid's absence, going 2-1-0, losing a game they probably should have won and winning a game they probably should have lost. In both of those games, Stuart Skinner was the deciding factor; playing a poor game against the Capitals giving up 3 goals despite outshooting Washington 32-14 and then standing tall in a game where the Sabres outshot the Oilers 41-34, including 19 shots in the third period, all of which Skinner stopped.
Goaltending is weird. Since November 1st, Skinner has the 15th best 5 on 5 SV% at 0.915 and the 12th best in all situations at 0.911%. Those are starter numbers and prove that Skinner is a legitimate starter. There are inconsistent moments but find me a goalie who isn't inconsistent and is available.
Tonight it looks like Calvin Pickard will get the start in net because Skinner and his wife are expecting their second child. Pickard has done well in the backup role, going 12-4-0 in 16 starts this season but also has a 0.899SV%. He isn't lights out by any stretch and I have plenty of time for the argument that Edmonton should target a goalie at the trade deadline to push Stuart Skinner.
The one name that makes complete sense for the Oilers is Karel Vejmelka of Utah. The 28 year old netminder is having a career year with a 0.914SV% and is a UFA at the end of this season. Adding Vejmelka would give the Oilers a legitimate tandem where either netminder could make a case for being their starter come Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The only reason I could see the Oilers not going after Vejmelka is simply his availability. Right now the Wild Card in the West is wide open with the likes of the Blues, Flames, Canucks, and Utah all competing for that final position. Utah is a few points back from a number of those teams but if they remain in the mix their management group will be hard pressed to trade their starter.
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I am going to be completely honest here when I say I do not understand the Oilers cap situation. According to PuckPedia, the Oilers currently have $5,035,219 in cap space - that is factoring in Evander Kane being on LTIR. We all believe right now that Kane will be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season before miraculously being ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That isn't a guarantee however.
With that in mind and needing several degrees to understand the NHL cap rules, I am not going to try and discuss the mechanics behind trades the Oilers could make at the deadline and how much cap space they do or do not have to make it work. Instead I'm going to talk in broader terms about the types of moves we should expect to see.
Lately I have seen some reporters and individuals around the Oilers speaking about depth adds and how the Oilers don't need to make a big add. As of right now, I am reading this as the Oilers thinking they have their main defense group set with John Klingberg in the mix and a top 4 defender is no longer their top priority. Personally I believe that to be a massive mistake but it will all depend on how Klingberg plays. If his struggles or successes are massive, we will likely be readdressing things.
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Lastly, for a brief 24 hours the Edmonton Oilers sat in first place in the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights have taken that spot back but Edmonton has a game in hand. I expect these two teams to be battling and trading off for top spot in the Pacific for the remainder of the season.
If the playoffs started today and the Oilers were in first in the Pacific... the first round would be an Oilers/Flames matchup.... just sayin'
Thanks for reading.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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