12 Days Of The Oilers Rig Christmas – Two Decent Goalies

It hasn’t been the biggest issue this season (That’s been the defense), but the Oilers goaltending has been bad and has cost the team a number of wins and points in the standings, especially at the start of the season. Both goalies coming into the season, Devan Dubnyk and Jason Labarbera, were huge disappointments and failed to provide the Oilers with average NHL goaltending.

The results? Labarbera shipped to Chicago for future considerations and Dubnyk playing out what will be his last contract in Edmonton. The young goalie is on a death march for his Oilers career right now. Neither of these guys were decent, let alone good for the Oilers for the first group of games this season.

The Oilers tried addressing this hole by bringing in Ilya Bryzgalov, who has actually played quite well for the team. On top of that, Dubnyk has started performing better since Bryz was signed. DD hasn’t gotten back to form, but he is starting to show signs of the goalie we all expected this season.

The goaltending isn’t the sole reason that the Oilers have struggled out of the gate, but it is certainly a big one, arguably the second biggest behind the horrid blue-line that the team possesses. With some solid goaltending comes confidence, and with confidence comes wins.

Had the Oilers even had decent goaltending at the start of the season, we might be looking at something totally different right now. The harsh reality of it is what we currently have however.

Therefore, on this fourth day of Christmas, I am offering the Edmonton Oilers two decent NHL goalies for next season. In what form are these two goalies you ask?

One might already be on the roster. Ilya Bryzgalov has looked good in his first five games as an Oiler. He’s played solid, been a calming presence, and clearly is trying to prove he belongs in the game. I think he and the Oilers work out a contract extension immediately after the season and Bryz returns next year.

I’m not going to name Bryz the starter for next season, but I believe he will be back as either a platoon starter or top-notch backup option.

The other goalie? Personally I really like Jonas Hiller, and it’s sounding like the Oilers do as well. Jim Matheson had an article up on this months ago, citing Hiller as a guy Craig MacTavish and the Oilers really like. Hiller has been an above-average goalie almost his whole career, and has been a guy that has provided the Ducks with some really good goaltending.

Is Hiller the sexy name? No, he isn’t, but he is a solid and strong NHL goalie and one that would give the Oilers an NHL level starting netminder. You go into next season with Bryzgalov and Hiller as your netminders, and you are in decent position. It would be the best tandem this organization has had since Roloson/Garon in 2007-08.

The Oilers aren’t going to get an elite goalie like Ryan Miller or Henrik Lundqvist, it just isn’t going to happen. That being said, the team can get two decent goalies and would be much better because of it. Good goaltending breeds confidence, and like I said above, confidence breeds winning in the NHL.

I’m not saying that adding Jonas Hiller will make this a playoff team next year, but it will certainly help their chances. Two decent goalies would be a major step in the right direction for this team.

If Craig MacTavish is able to take this Christmas gift and couple it with a good add or two on the Oilers blue-line, Edmonton’s days of the basement could finally be over.

Everyone is, and rightfully so, up in arms about Edmonton’s terrible blue-line, heck I am too. That being said, two goalies would really calm things down and help set Edmonton in the right direction.

This might be the best stocking stuffer MacT ever gets!