After back-to-back-to-back years of the Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen duo, the Edmonton Oilers will have a new goaltending tandem this season.
The team inked Jack Campbell to a five-year deal worth $25 million in free agency over the summer. He’ll play alongside Stuart Skinner, the team’s third-round pick from the 2017 NHL Draft who’s looking to build on the excellent showing he had as a rookie last season.
Goaltending was a rollercoaster ride for the Oilers last season. Smith, Koskinen, and Skinner combined to put up a .906 save percentage, which ranked 13th in the league, one spot ahead of the Florida Panthers and one spot behind the Nashville Predators.
What about this season? What can we expect from the Campbell and Skinner duo? Mike McKenna of Daily Faceoff ranked them as the No. 16 goaltending tandem going into the 2022-23 season, saying that the talent is certainly there but there are question marks around consistency…
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“If the 2020-21 version of Campbell shows up in Edmonton, the Oilers will be getting an outstanding goaltender that should be ranked higher on this list. But the reality is that consistency has long eluded Campbell. The skill set is there, and his .916 career save percentage is impressive. But the wild swings in performance need to end. Skinner has put in the time at the AHL level and improved every year of his professional career. He’s ready for the NHL. Making the Oilers out of training camp should be a big boost for the 23-year old Edmonton native.”
Elsewhere in the Pacific Division, McKenna has the Calgary Flames’ duo of Jacob Markstrom and Daniel Vladar ranked No. 4 and the Vancouver Canucks’ tandem of Thatcher Demko and Spencer Martin ranked No. 11. Every other goaltending tandem in the Pacific Division was ranked behind the Oilers.
What do you think, Nation? How confident do you feel with Campbell and Skinner in the Oilers’ net? Who do you feel has the strongest goaltending in the Pacific Division?

#NATIONVACATION TO LAS VEGAS

  • When: On Thursday, January 12th, we’re jumping on a flight at the Edmonton International Airport and making our way to Vegas. On Sunday evening, we’ll fly back from Vegas to Edmonton. So the dates that you need to block off for this trip are January 12th to 15th.
  • Where we’re staying: After landing in LV, we’ll jump on the free shuttle and make our way to the Park MGM before settling in for a good night’s sleep. 😉
  • What you get: Your roundtrip flight, hotel, shuttle, viewing party (Friday night), game entry — we got seats this time (Saturday night), and exclusive entry into our pre-trip ‘get to know everyone’ event.
  • How Much: The total cost for the trip, flight, hotel, and entry to the game is $1499 per person (based on double occupancy) 
  • Tickets: Ready to dive in? Click this link.