The Oilers have been on thin ice recently. And their goaltending situation? Yeah, it’s been the talk of the town—for all the wrong reasons. It was just a day ago when Edmonton was playing against the Colorado Avalanche on February 7, 2025, and let’s just say… things got messy. The Avalanche won the match 5-4 and, the highlight was all about the Oilers’ goaltending issues. Coach Kris Knoblauch had seen enough after just one period, pulling Stuart Skinner after he let in three goals on 12 shots. In comes Calvin Pickard, who was thrown right into the fire with the team being down 3-2.

And let’s just say, Oilers fans did not hold back. One fan even dropped the brutal take: “The Edmonton Oilers ain’t winning a Stanley Cup with Stuart Skinner in net. Dude is f**ing dog sht.” And the numbers aren’t exactly helping either. Skinner has lost two of his last three games, while Pickard has been on fire, winning 10 of his last 11. Skinner has a 2.72 GAA and a .900 save percentage in 37 games, while Pickard has 2.52 GAA and .901 SV% in 21 games. But wait—Oilers GM just came through with a strong statement to silence the critics of the goaltender.

Oilers GM stands up for the goalies!

OilersNationDotCom stirred the pot on February 8th, dropping a fresh Instagram post featuring none other than Oilers GM Stan Bowman. The caption teased fans with a big statement from his recent chat with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. And let’s be real—after all the goalie drama buzzing around Edmonton, everyone was dying to hear what he had to say. So, did Bowman throw his netminders under the bus? Nope. He came in swinging against the haters.

“Our goalies have been great (since November). Calvin Pickard is 10-1 in his last 11 games. And Skinner’s been excellent, too. Based on the performance of the team and their performance individually, they’ve done a really good job for us.” Translation? He’s shutting down the hate, fast. Basically, Bowman made it crystal clear—despite all the noise, he’s standing by his guys. Sure, the fanbase might be in full panic mode, but the Oilers’ front office isn’t flinching. No trade rumors, no shade, just straight-up confidence in the crease. But is the no-trade rumor part true?

According to Oilers Daily on February 8th, Oilers insider Bob Stauffer—aka the guy who knows everything—threw some major red flags. He noted that Skinner’s stats against top 10 teams are rather poor—.867 save percentage and -10.2 Goals Saved Above Expected. If that is what he is bringing against playoff-caliber squads, Edmonton may be in deep trouble once the stakes are raised. But Bowman’s public support could just be a bluff; a show of strength so that teams do not sense the desperation. But come on—realistically speaking, if the Oilers are serious about winning the Cup, the goalie issue needs addressing immediately. And while the Avalanche game really brought the heat, it was not the first time this month that the goaltending situation at Edmonton came under scrutiny.

Oilers’ goaltending against the Leafs

Early in February, the Oilers rolled into their matchup against the Maple Leafs with hopes of a comeback, but let’s just say… it didn’t quite go their way. Stuart Skinner found himself on the wrong end of the scoreboard again, letting in one too many goals for Edmonton to steal the win. And while there was enough happening on the ice–such as Leon Draisaitl’s almost goal being taken away by an offside and Joseph Woll robbing Corey Perry at the last second–the Oilers’ post-game discussion was all about one thing: the goaltending.

Audiences were not afraid to place the blame on Skinner. But was Skinner he the only issue? Not exactly. The Oilers were on the back foot from the first siren and before they could find their footing, the Toronto team had scored three goals in the first period. Yes, two of them occurred on the power play, but honestly, Edmonton’s defense wasn’t exactly the most formidable. They finally got it together in the second, tightening up and keeping the Leafs off the board, while Evan Bouchard managed to give the Oilers a glimmer of hope with a lone goal.

And just when it appeared that the roles will be reversed, Toronto stepped up the pace in the third and scored a goal 18 seconds into the period. And with that, the momentum was lost for good. The Oilers had their chances but all the goals that they lost and the early fouls that were committed contributed to their downfall. So, was this all on Skinner? Well, not fully, but as far as the Oilers’ supporters are concerned, the controversy is still ongoing.