OT: Are these the best goalenders that ever laced with the Oilers?

[Quality Oil]

I don't think Tommy Salo belongs in that group.

Salo was an incredible goalie for us, until the *****-gate/olympics. Fantastic player.

 

[Pointteen]

Jussi

I'll forever have a soft spot for Markannen. He was never amazing but I loved him.

 

[SK13]

I'll forever have a soft spot for Markannen. He was never amazing but I loved him.

I think he was pretty amazing in the six games that counted. At the very least, really good with a lot of pressure on him (after sucking that entire regular season).

If only he were on the bench instead of Conklin when Roloson went down.

 

[Pointteen]

I think he was pretty amazing in the six games that counted. At the very least, really good with a lot of pressure on him (after sucking that entire regular season).

If only he were on the bench instead of Conklin when Roloson went down.

I honestly feel like Conklin threw that game. How can someone be so bad at puck handling?

Oh well. I have a broken stick from Jussi. Perks of having parents in the military band. Once a year, free tickets.

 

[Dorian2]

Gotta love that Fuhr pic! Pretty much epitomizes his style.

 

[CornKicker]

I don't think Tommy Salo belongs in that group.

until Salo took that puck in the dome at the olympics he was on pace to be the greatest oilers goalie ever. he carried some medicore teams on his back and stood on his head way more times than he didnt. his fall from good was quick but he was great for the oilers. Especially those of us who remember essensa and stink

 

[CornKicker]

I think he was pretty amazing in the six games that counted. At the very least, really good with a lot of pressure on him (after sucking that entire regular season).

If only he were on the bench instead of Conklin when Roloson went down.

100% we win the cup if Markanen was on the bench, i hate conklin still.....and MAB

 

[Worraps]

Relative to the eras in which they played:

1. Fuhr
2. Joseph
3. Ranford
4. Roloson
5. Salo

Who I would want in net now, in their prime:

1. Joseph
2. Ranford
3. Roloson
4. Fuhr
5. Salo

 

[Asher]

Not rude but may be a little short-sighted.

A couple points.

- I don't think everyone knows all the goaltenders that did well for us. I think we have new fans coming in everyday, a new generation of kids that probably want to learn more of their team and ofcourse bandwagoners. Why not pay tribute once and a while to some of the best that bled copper and blue.

- Putting up this thread was also attempt to question "why has it been so hard to get a quality goaltender for the oilers when we had so many quality years with good goaltenders". Roloson last played for us in 08/09. Why hasn't there been more due diligence in attempt to solidify a very important position.

- Maybe there is a couple goaltenders that I missed that someone might want to correct me and let me know how they were really good and want to share their memories of them.

- What is the point of a forum without threads? I like goaltenders, maybe this thread will bring in like-minded posters.

- I really want to see amazing goaltender in the oilers crease again. This thread is a reminder of that and really hoping for a change of attitude of adding and growing quality net minders in Edmonton.

- Goaltenders are awesome.

To answer the bolded, the goaltending went downhill once Sather left the team. Sather understands the importance of goaltending, and made it his priority as GM (something he's continued in NY). In contrast, goalies were always an afterthought with Lowe. I will say that Tambo and MacT seemed to make it a bigger priority as GM, but unfortunately neither of them actually had the competence to do anything about it.

 

[PositiveCashFlow]

Pre Olymics Salo was really good

 

[Beerfish]

Salo was the best player on our team for about two years in a row. That was a great acquisition at the time.

And just why is Eddie Mio not on the list?????

 

[Halibut]

Gotta love that Fuhr pic! Pretty much epitomizes his style.

Yeah him looking back at the puck in the net.

Fuhr was a good goalie in the way that Mike Vernon was a good goalie and Chris Osgood. He was good enough to win with the team in front of him and those teams in front of him were amazing!

 

[Beerfish]

Yeah him looking back at the puck in the net.

Fuhr was a good goalie in the way that Mike Vernon was a good goalie and Chris Osgood. He was good enough to win with the team in front of him and those teams in front of him were amazing!

Not even close to being true. Put the stats aside, the Oilers win at least two fewer cups without Grant Fuhr because they don't even make the finals.

 

[McShogun99]

Yeah him looking back at the puck in the net.

Fuhr was a good goalie in the way that Mike Vernon was a good goalie and Chris Osgood. He was good enough to win with the team in front of him and those teams in front of him were amazing!

Fuhr was an amazing goalie, especially when the game was on the line. When the gane wasn't close he seemed bored, almost like he wasn't trying but once the game was within 1 or tied he would be completely focused. To me he's one of the best in NHL history.

 

[Asher]

Yeah him looking back at the puck in the net.

Fuhr was a good goalie in the way that Mike Vernon was a good goalie and Chris Osgood. He was good enough to win with the team in front of him and those teams in front of him were amazing!

Couldn't disagree more. Fuhr was an integral part of that team; I was always disappointed he never won a Conn Smythe. He deserved at least one, but usually someone else was the MVP in the finals. Fuhr was often the MVP in the earlier rounds.

 

[Halibut]

Not even close to being true. Put the stats aside, the Oilers win at least two fewer cups without Grant Fuhr because they don't even make the finals.

There were probably a dozen goalies in the league that could have taken the Oilers to the cup each of the years they won. If we're rating Oilers goalies and playoff performances he is easily behind Ranford in 90, Cujo in the 90's and Roloson in 06.

 

[McBold]

Pre Olymics Salo was really good

Looking back I didn't realize how good he was. Played in two All-Star games and wasn't there because the Oilers needed representation.

 

[Replacement*]

I think for historical purposes the list looks better if such WHA luminaries as Jacques Plante, and Dave Dryden are included. It makes the list look much better.

Ron Low should be on the list at least for his fire and compete level and dragging a club into the playoffs.

Also a footnote not many are aware of and just interesting is that the goalie on Slapshot was based on the real life Oilers goalie Louis Levasseur who was a real character. Oilers also of course had "Hanson Brothers" real life players. Much of the movie was based on WHA stories of which the Author was a real fan.

WHA was a great league. Indelible memories.

 

[Replacement*]

Couldn't disagree more. Fuhr was an integral part of that team; I was always disappointed he never won a Conn Smythe. He deserved at least one, but usually someone else was the MVP in the finals. Fuhr was often the MVP in the earlier rounds.

Yeah. Fuhr was particularly good for making sensational saves when the Oilers broke down which happened less in playoffs, but still happened with regularlity in tight games. People familiar with todays style and makeup of goaltending may not fully understand the great play of Fuhr but he was a riverboat gambler of a time. He would basically communicate with a shooter that this is what I'm giving you, I'm giving you this hole, put it there, and then snatch it away in spectacular fashion.

Cujo, Fuhr had the best reaction times I've ever seen. Like they could make pucks freeze in mid air making slow motion saves. Beauty.

 

[Halibut]

Yeah. Fuhr was particularly good for making sensational saves when the Oilers broke down which happened less in playoffs, but still happened with regularlity in tight games. People familiar with todays style and makeup of goaltending may not fully understand the great play of Fuhr but he was a riverboat gambler of a time. He would basically communicate with a shooter that this is what I'm giving you, I'm giving you this hole, put it there, and then snatch it away in spectacular fashion.

Cujo, Fuhr had the best reaction times I've ever seen. Like they could make pucks freeze in mid air making slow motion saves. Beauty.

Fuhr was a gambler but that didnt always work for him, he lost on a lot of those gambles because he was playing on the edge. Dont get me wrong he was a good goalie but he was never one of the best goalies in the league, probably never in the top 5. If he came into the league on an 80's Leafs team or with the Nordiques nobody would be saying he was "one of the best in NHL history".

 

[Replacement*]

Fuhr was a gambler but that didnt always work for him, he lost on a lot of those gambles because he was playing on the edge. Dont get me wrong he was a good goalie but he was never one of the best goalies in the league, probably never in the top 5. If he came into the league on an 80's Leafs team or with the Nordiques nobody would be saying he was "one of the best in NHL history".

I respect your opinion on a lot of things. You are simply wrong here. Nobody would support this position and even try to name 5 cohorts of his time that were better than Fuhr.

I could see people suggesting Hextall, Billy Smith, but its a short list. Please don't say Mike Vernon.

 

[McRpro]

Salo turned into a sieve in the playoffs. Maybe I was just spoiled by the heroics that Cujo provided in earlier runs but I was never a Salo fan. People like to harp on the fact his game went south after the Olympic gaffe but he wasn't a clutch goalie at any point before that either.

I told a friend before the Olympics in 2002 that Salo was going to somehow blow it for Sweden. I was right.

 

[Replacement*]

Salo turned into a sieve in the playoffs. Maybe I was just spoiled by the heroics that Cujo provided in earlier runs but I was never a Salo fan. People like to harp on the fact his game went south after the Olympic gaffe but he wasn't a clutch goalie at any point before that either.

I told a friend before the Olympics in 2002 that Salo was going to somehow blow it for Sweden. I was right.

Salo and Dubnyk remind me of each other in the sense that neither are goalies I ever felt comfortable going to playoff war with. Neither are big game performers and never were.

The playoff results the Oilers obtained with Cujo are night and day different than obtained with Salo.

 

[Dorian2]

Yeah him looking back at the puck in the net.

Fuhr was a good goalie in the way that Mike Vernon was a good goalie and Chris Osgood. He was good enough to win with the team in front of him and those teams in front of him were amazing!

What Beerfish said. And that old dude whatshisname...Replacement.

He let in some real goofy ones, but he always came through when needed.

Sorta the opposite of what we've had for the last what, 10 years give or take. Especially last year.

 

[Quality Oil]

Salo and Dubnyk remind me of each other in the sense that neither are goalies I ever felt comfortable going to playoff war with. Neither are big game performers and never were.

The playoff results the Oilers obtained with Cujo are night and day different than obtained with Salo.

Cujo was a competitor, you could actually see the intensity in his eyes before games started - he was completely dialed in. Some players in sport just decide that nothing is gonna stop them from helping their team to win despite the odds, few and far between, he was a hell of a playoff goalie.