Oilers Rumors: Edmonton's Goaltending Plan Has Changed

The Edmonton Oilers are heating up and it's thanks to some steady goaltending from Stuart Skinner. There had been a ton of speculation brewing about what Oilers GM Ken Holland was going to do to address his lack of goaltending production and while Jack Campbell is still an option in the AHL, it sounds like Holland is standing pat now.

Elliotte Friedman commented on the Oilers crease during his latest 32 Thoughts and had this to say:

I thought he may go down sooner to make room for Jack Campbell. The plan was to bring back Campbell after three strong starts, but the fourth one — a 6-4 win over Texas — didn’t go well, halting the idea. I still believe the Oilers will give Campbell another shot, as it's better to try to solve your problem than pay whatever it will take to trade your problem (which would be significant), but it might not be until next week. Bakersfield backup Olivier Rodrigue, a good prospect, needs his playing time, too.

Campbell has recorded a 3-4-0 record in the minors, including a 3.28GAA and .893 Sv.%. Certainly not numbers that warrant a recall.

Skinner on the other hand is coming around, posting a 9-7-1 record along with a 3.03 GAA and .889 SV.%. Recently though he's been exceptional, winning his last five starts including one shutout and holding his opponents to just one goal his last two games.

The Oilers have been heavy into trade talks this season as Holland's phone has been ringing off the hook. Philip Broberg remains an option on defense to be moved and once Campbell is recalled and showcased, he'll be on the trade block as well. The young defenseman will be much easier to move and who knows, perhaps Holland packages the two players together to lessen the pot sweetener he'll need to move on from Campbell's contract.

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