NHL insider Frank Corrado opines Edmonton Oilers' success hinges on $7,800,000 star's performance

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Jul 19, 2024 16:31 GMT

NHL insider Frank Corrado joined SC with Jay Onrait and discussed the Edmonton Oilers' future and goalie Stuart Skinner's crucial role in it. Corrado discussed the Oilers' strong offense, led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and noted their defensive improvements. However, he questioned if there would be a gap between the team's offensive and defensive performance.

"I see a very explosive offense, Jay. And I can count on this team scoring a lot of goals" Corrado said, "They improved defensively, and Stuart Skinner played well at times. But... is there going to be a big discrepancy between how good my team is offensively and what I get from my D-core and my goalie?"

Skinner, who signed a three-year, $7.8 million contract extension with the Oilers in December 2022, will be a key player to watch. Despite only playing two full NHL seasons, Skinner has gained substantial experience. He stepped into the starter’s role after Jack Campbell struggled in 2023. This rapid transition had challenges, but Skinner rebounded after a two-game benching and performed well in the final 15 playoff games.

At 25, Skinner is still young by NHL standards. His 2023-24 stats show his potential: 36 wins, 16 losses and five overtime losses. He maintained a goals-against average of 2.62 and a save percentage of .905. He also recorded two shutouts.

Corrado emphasized that for the Oilers to minimize the gap between their offensive and defensive performance, Skinner's consistency will be crucial:

"The goaltending - Stuart Skinner, can he be really consistent? When we see him play really well, can he do that more often? And if that's the case, you don't have such a discrepancy between how good you are offensively and maybe what there might not be defensively."

The Edmonton Oilers' offense will continue to be strong, but their success next season may hinge on Skinner's performance.

---

Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman's charity golf event

Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman organized a community charity golf event in the offseason. Supported by Oilers teammates such as Connor McDavid, the event is part of Hyman's foundation, Hyman Helps. This year, it raised nearly half a million dollars for charities such as Stolley Children's Hospital and SickKids Hospital.

McDavid spoke about Hyman's work at the event:

"I'm here to support Zach and his causes. He's a great teammate and a great friend. It's important to be here and support his initiatives."

Since 2019, the outing has raised over $2 million for children’s charities.