Welcome to another episode of Ask Dubey, this time from my hotel room in Secaucus, New Jersey. I’m back on the road working with NHL Network, but I didn’t want to miss a chance to answer your questions with the season underway. I’m excited to be back weekly, talking Oilers and digging into everything you’re sending my way.

The headline for Oilers fans: Connor McDavid signed for two years at $12.5 million AAV. That’s very team-friendly. We’ve talked at length about how McDavid could command every penny available and deserve it. Some insiders may have anticipated a shorter term, but it’s still massive news.

Would fans prefer a longer extension? Of course. But the cap flexibility Connor just created says one thing: he wants to win a Stanley Cup soon. If the Oilers use that space intelligently, keep building a consistent contender, and push over the next three seasons, that will influence what comes next. In the short term, McDavid’s message is clear. He wants to win now. He’s done his part to give the club flexibility to add significant pieces. Big news, and worth revisiting even if you’ve heard it already.

I had a lot of tandems and structures over the years, but the most influential vet for me was Nikolai Khabibulin, my first NHL partner. He was incredible to learn from. He’d been there and done that, a Stanley Cup champion with a huge workload, and he prepared like a pro every day. Practice habits, game routines, recovery, everything. He stayed in fantastic shape to the end of his career. Watching him work, especially as age forced him to be even more meticulous, was huge for me.

When I came in, I was the backup. Over time, I played more and gradually took over the starter’s workload as he approached the end of his run. He was nothing but supportive as that transition happened, and that mattered.

I later partnered with Jason LaBarbera, a close friend of mine, and then with Mike Smith in Arizona, another great friend and excellent partner. When I landed in Minnesota, it got unique: Niklas Backstrom was there, Darcy Kuemper was coming, and after re-signing, I became the established starter with Kuemper as my partner. That’s when I tried to be for Darcy what Khabibulin was for me: supportive, collaborative, and honest. Work together in practice, help him feel prepared, and be there when he gets the net. He’s a terrific goalie, and he’s doing great with the LA Kings.

I later worked with Al Stalock, close in age, with clear roles. He was an outstanding veteran backup: funny, engaging, hard-working, and brought something to the rink every day. Then with Martin Jones in San Jose and Filip Grubauer in Colorado, it was more of the same: mutual support and steady competition.

Bottom line: there’s room for healthy, friendly competition, but you have to support each other. It’s a long season, and only the two of you truly know what it’s like back there. You can’t do it alone; you lean on your partner.

One of my favorite parts of being a goalie is the mask. Early on, I worked with different artists, then in the NHL, I used David Gunnarsson (DaveArt). He does a big chunk of NHL masks. He’s fast and delivers a strong product, which is huge if you need something quickly or you get traded.

For the last four or five years of my career in Minnesota, I switched to Franny Drummond out of Philadelphia. He’s an incredible hand-painted artist. It takes longer, but the detail is unreal. He’d put my kids on the backplate, hand-drawn and hand-painted, and it meant a lot.

Some goalies don’t care much about the design beyond clean team logos. I’m the opposite. I want something that looks great from far away, then reveals cool details up close. With the Wild, I leaned into the outdoors theme. People debate whether the logo’s a bear or a wildcat, and I’d brainstorm with the artist around a creature vibe. He’d send sketches, we’d tinker, and I’d always ask if it would pop on TV and also reward a closer look. And yes, kids on the back.

Now I’ve got three boys; two are goalies. Franny’s kind enough to paint their masks, so my 12- and 9-year-olds are skating around with pro-quality paint jobs. They don’t know how good they have it. Honestly, I might enjoy the design process even more than they do.

Counterintuitive answer: more shots can be easier, as long as they’re controlled. Over my career, I learned that a 35–40 shot night can actually mean your team is playing great defense, forcing pucks from less dangerous areas. You get into a rhythm: see it, feel it, control it.

The harder games can be the low-volume ones when your team is aggressive defensively, and the only looks against you are broken plays and Grade-A chances. There’s no flow, just sporadic chaos. If 12 of 22 shots are Grade-As, that’s rough. If it’s 15 Grade-A’s out of 40, you’re probably better prepared because you’ve been in the game all night.

Same with breakaways: if you’ve faced 40 shots and you’re in rhythm, that breakaway is easier than one appearing cold on the first shift. Our job is to prepare to play well in both scenarios, find rhythm without volume, and stay ready for breakdowns.

This is a good question. Was Jordan Eberle’s first NHL goal the nicest first goal you’ve seen? Absolutely. Electric.

It still amazes me when I watch it. Home opener vs. Calgary, Miikka Kiprusoff in net, tight game, roof about to blow off Rexall Place. Two-on-one, Ebs drags around the D, forehand-backhand finish. The timing, the rivalry, the hype around the young core, everything. We won 4-0, and that moment lit the fuse on the season. It’s the best first NHL goal I’ve seen, and I was there to feel that building explode.

That’s it for this week’s Ask Dubey. I’ll be back on my normal setup next episode. Keep the questions coming with #AskDubey on any social platform or drop them in the comments below. If we don’t get to yours right away, we’ll circle back. Your questions are a big part of the show.