The Minnesota Wild placed goalie Josh Harding on waivers earlier on Monday. He’s not a sexy name, but he is a solid player and is someone that provides an upgrade to the Edmonton Oilers current situation in net. Neither Ben Scrivens nor Viktor Fasth have been good this season for this hockey club.
Why Look For Another Goalie?:
It’s simple. The Edmonton Oilers are playing better hockey this season than they were last season. Earlier today, our very own Rom sent out a series out tweets on his twitter account that cited how the Edmonton Oilers have shown marked improvements in every single advanced stats category.
That is a very good sign in my mind, because all of the good teams have good advanced stat numbers. That said, Edmonton is still 6-10-2, and is dead last in the Western Conference. That is an unacceptable number, and while Edmonton hasn’t been good every night, they’ve been good enough nights that they deserved a better fate in.
I’m not saying the Oilers deserve to be a playoff team, because they don’t, but with the advanced stat numbers they currently have, they should certainly be higher in the standings. These numbers indicate that Edmonton should be around 18th in the NHL, and in the fight for the final Western playoff spot. The reality? They are last in the west and 27th in the NHL, a familiar spot from these last few years.
I’m not saying Edmonton is playing great, but they are playing better, and therefore should be higher in the standings. They aren’t playing playoff hockey, buy playing good enough hockey to be in the mix.
You Have Scrivens And Fasth!!:
Yeah you do, but it isn’t good enough. Yes, they were good bets, but neither has been good this season. Both goalies sport sub-.900 SV%’s and both have given up far too many soft goals. Viktor Fasth killed Edmonton in their loss to Nashville last Tuesday, and Scrivens has killed Edmonton with not only soft goals, but terrible puck moving mistakes the have cost the team goals, and sadly points as well.
Viktor Fasth has .885 SV%, while Scrivens has a .899 Sv% on the season. That is well below average, and not good enough. The Oilers are a young team and trying to turn north, but goaltending is, again, a major issue in Edmonton. These guys have not been good enough, and have hurt the team.
Okay, Why Harding?:
Harding is a bit of an interesting case here. He’s 30, so he’s in the prime of his career, but he’s also a massive medical risk. Harding has been injured at multiple points throughout his career, and is currently battling MS, a very serious disease that impacts a person in a major way.
Harding has not played this season because of injury, but did play in 29 games last season, posting a .933 SV% and a very good 1.65 GAA. Prior to that in 2011-12 Harding played in 34 games and posted a good .917 SV%, much better than what we are currently seeing from the Oilers netminding tandem.
Throughout his career, Harding has posted a .918 SV%, and has a 60-59-11 record. It’s not great, but it is not bad at all.
So Claim Him?:
Yes, I would claim him. Harding is not an elite goalie, and isn’t a set in stone number one option, but he’s a player with a decent track record on the ice, and a player who has shown good signs in the NHL in very recent memory. He offers something to the Oilers, a clear upgrade over Viktor Fasth, and an upgrade over Ben Scrivens.
The season is close to over in Edmonton, and AHL-level goaltending is KILLING this team. They have to address this hole right away, and Harding represents a free option. The Oilers have to take a chance on this guy, I can’t see how they don’t at this point.
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