Edmonton Oilers Have Two Worst Skating Goalies in NHL – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

It is often said that in hockey, the goalie should be the best player on his team. That’s not in the sense of straight speed or crossovers, but more in terms of edge work. A goaltender’s skating is very different from that of a player, but bad skating is just as detrimental to success as a goaltender.

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Although it often goes unnoticed, the best-skating goaltenders are rarely out of position. This is because they can catch up quickly because of their amazing work. The best in the game made it so easy it seemed useless. A good example was former Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price, who always seemed calm and composed in the crease. All this was due to his elite skiing ability.

Like every player, every goaltender in the NHL is an excellent skater. After all, there is a reason they play in the best league in the world. That means some are better than others, and more often than not, those who skate better are more successful than those who don’t. That does not bode well for the Edmonton Oilers, as both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have major deficiencies in this aspect of their games.

Skinner Struggles to Walk Laterally

In terms of structure, Skinner is quite solid. He doesn’t score a ton and plays a more compact style like many of the top scorers in the world today. That being said, you have one issue that many are starting to talk about lately, and it’s a big problem.

Thanks in large part to his large frame and sound quality, Skinner is not defeated by the clean look very often. If it’s just him versus the shooter, he usually comes out on top. That means, if there is a pass involved, his shortcomings are definitely visible.

Skinner is poor by NHL standards in terms of his lateral movement, which is on the edge where he has the most impact. This was on full display in last night’s game against the New York Islanders where he allowed a one-run goal to Kyle Palmieri. chasing two each during the second half.

As the clip shows, Skinner is fully set in anticipation of a shot from Maxim Tsyplakov. When Tsyplakov instead opted to pass to Palmieri, Skinner’s lack of lateral movement put him at a disadvantage. If you pause the clip, you’ll actually notice that his hips can’t turn, they’re still looking at Tsyplakov well after the puck is already on its way to Palmieri.

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This is just one example of many that have been shown this season and in previous years with Skinner. His position play is good enough to allow him to continue to be a good NHL goaltender, but until he can better develop his play on the wing, he will never come close to being a top-level starter.

Pickard’s Plan Could Be Costly

On the other end of the chain is Pickard, who, while not as intimidating in terms of position, is almost as strong as Skinner. A net rider can often overwork their crease, which leads to unnecessary creases and often makes things more difficult than they need to be.

A big part of Pickard’s taunting is that he, too, isn’t a very good skater. His lateral movement is also very poor compared to many other NHL players. Couple that with his sometimes questionable stance and you get what can at times look like, frankly, a beer league goalie. Now, to Pickard’s credit, he’s done pretty well in his 29 appearances with a 2.48 goals-against average (GAA) and a .905 save percentage (SV%), but, if he ever needs to be relied upon in a heavy workload, his shortcomings can really be seen.

The Oilers Could Use Some Help In Pointing

While the main focus of this Oilers team is a defenseman, you can understand why many fans are asking for a goaltender. This current combination of Skinner and Pickard is simply too inconsistent and not expected to be trusted, making them a risky bet as they look to win it all in 2025.