Koskinen stealing the starting job?

[ElysiumAB]

Going back to the Anaheim game when the Ducks scored their first goal with 15 seconds left or something - Koskinen was seconds away from having back-to-back shutouts.

More importantly, compared to Talbot he just looks positionally sound, and is making bigger saves in important moments. Not letting in the first shot of the game also helps.

Should be his job to lose right now, aside from back to back nights.

 

[joestevens29]

This goaltending we have isn't new to Hitch. For many years now he's had to run two goalies. Whoever is playing well is the starter until they fail.

Hopefully if Koskinen does slow down that Talbot can rebound.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Love Costco for Bulk Savings.

 

[GMofOilers]

yep. Talbot can share a room with Mike Smith now.
two goalies who were given a chance to keep their #1 job , sucked and gave an opening for the backups to steal their jobs.

Chia failed the city and organization, but I will give him credit for this pickup. imagine Talbot sucking and having to turn to Montoya?

To the Bolded, we seen what happened last year. lol

 

[Magnum23]

Kosk is playing amazing rn. Let’s hope talbot uses as motivation to get back to where he was in 2017.

Otherwise bye bye Cam!

 

[tellermine]

Kosk is playing amazing rn. Let’s hope talbot uses as motivation to get back to where he was in 2017.

Otherwise bye bye Cam!

I think Oilers should do bold moves.
Oilers have loads of goalie prospect and surely one must grow to NHL?
Trade Talbot!

 

[joestevens29]

I think Oilers should do bold moves.
Oilers have loads of goalie prospect and surely one must grow to NHL?
Trade Talbot!

I don't think anyone is going to be ready for a few years, even then is it backup role or starter.

Should look at grabbing someone that's 25-27 to play behind Koskinen if Talbot does indeed get dealt.

 

[oobga]

Dunno where to put this since PGT is closed.



Bet Eakins would definitely have been proud of that late coverage

Thank goodness for Koskinen last night.

 

[Mr Positive]

I agree with Hitch that goaltending is our strength. It's not just Koskinen. It would benefit us to keep Talbot. Koskinen has the starting job now, but next month it could flip.

 

[The Batman]

Still too early to tell. Everybody loved Talbot just 2 seasons ago but for some reason his play fell off (around the time he had twins?)

I just don't get attached to players based on a few great games. Same reason I didn't get the excitement surrounding Rattie when he lit up the league in preseason lol. Our RW deptth can't be magically fixed by racking up points in meaningless games.

I do hope that Koskinen can continue his solid play of course. Made some huge stops that I haven't seen Talbot make and seems to follow the play very well.

 

[nexttothemoon]

Goalies are tough to judge longer term.. but you have to absolutely ride the hot hand in the short term.

Koskinen is leaps and bounds above Talbot right now. Ride Koskinen hard and get some wins to boost this team up the standings because coddling Talbot and hoping he finds his game likely means slipping well out of a playoff spot with zero chance to ever catch up.

 

[Spawn]

Still too early to tell. Everybody loved Talbot just 2 seasons ago but for some reason his play fell off (around the time he had twins?)

He had twins at the start of the 2016-17 season when he finished 4th in vezina voting. IIRC he started the season slowly, had twins and then his game took off. It's what earned him the nickname Dadbot.

 

[Niten Ichi Ryu]

Rumor mill is that Chia is shopping Talbot
This better not be a Dubnyk 2.0
I agree moving on from Cam, both he and the team need a fresh start

Would be so shitty though if he goes on to resurrect his career with another team and Koskinen decides not to extend and signs with another team in the summer. We'd be back to square 1 with goaltending, which is by far the most important position of the team.
Extend Mikko now, he's proven in the last decade, in various world class leagues, that he can perform and back-stop a team all the way into the playoffs. I'd say a 3 year contract, maybe similar to Talbot's

 

[The Batman]

He had twins at the start of the 2016-17 season when he finished 4th in vezina voting. IIRC he started the season slowly, had twins and then his game took off. It's what earned him the nickname Dadbot.

I don't know why it was stuck in my head that his downfall started with the twins...

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

More like Cam Talbot stole the backup job.

 

[Del Preston]

 

[Senor Catface]

The "Francouz is a better goalie" battalion on here sure got quiet.

 

[Canada Drai]

The "Francouz is a better goalie" battalion on here sure got quiet.

Not exactly relevant to this situation a lot but I have issues with people blasting off stats without paying attention to the player.

Hockey is just not a numbers game unless we talking goals.

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

The "Francouz is a better goalie" battalion on here sure got quiet.

This post hasn't aged well:

Oilers signed a lesser goalie for almost 4 times the amount. Wtf

 

[ahawowow]

so long tablot - whether or not koskinen is the answer, it sure wasn't him

 

[The Panther]

Koskinen looks like a stud so far, so for God's sake let's ride him as far as he takes us.


Having said that, Hitchcock's sanity was called into question as the presser yesterday when he stated that the team's biggest strength was its two goaltenders.

Yeah... that means one guy with an .889 over 15 games and another guy with 14 NHL games' experience in nine years are the team's biggest strength.


With 'strengths' like these, who needs weaknesses?

 

[McBigYak]

Rumor mill is that Chia is shopping Talbot
This better not be a Dubnyk 2.0
I agree moving on from Cam, both he and the team need a fresh start

Would be so ****ty though if he goes on to resurrect his career with another team and Koskinen decides not to extend and signs with another team in the summer. We'd be back to square 1 with goaltending, which is by far the most important position of the team.
Extend Mikko now, he's proven in the last decade, in various world class leagues, that he can perform and back-stop a team all the way into the playoffs. I'd say a 3 year contract, maybe similar to Talbot's

It is going to be a Dubnyk 2.0. Cam Talbot is a talented goalie, there is no doubt. Just as Dubnyk was. But with goaltending being such a taxing position mentally, sometimes guys need fresh starts. Talbots been one of my favorite players as an Oiler since he's arrived. He provided stable goaltending in his first two seasons that we haven't seen here in a while. But I think it's time we grab a piece for him and move on.

Even if he does resurrect his game here, he's going to be looking for a long term contract, and I am not so sure Edmonton is going to be willing to give that to him. But there is teams that will. Talbot shipped out would provide us with a good chunk of cap space to spend on a forward or d man that will help us in our weakest areas.

It's a gamble banking on Koskinen providing solid play for the remaining 58 games, but I think it's one well worth taking, as I think this is Talbots last year as an Oiler regardless.

Worst case scenario? We move Talbot, Koskinen shits the bed, and the new oilers GM has 6.6 million dollars to go out and find 2 goaltenders in the offseason.

 

[CycloneSweep]

This post hasn't aged well:

And then I read over the summer and watched clips and changed my mind late in the summer.

 

[joestevens29]

It is going to be a Dubnyk 2.0. Cam Talbot is a talented goalie, there is no doubt. Just as Dubnyk was. But with goaltending being such a taxing position mentally, sometimes guys need fresh starts. Talbots been one of my favorite players as an Oiler since he's arrived. He provided stable goaltending in his first two seasons that we haven't seen here in a while. But I think it's time we grab a piece for him and move on.

Even if he does resurrect his game here, he's going to be looking for a long term contract, and I am not so sure Edmonton is going to be willing to give that to him. But there is teams that will. Talbot shipped out would provide us with a good chunk of cap space to spend on a forward or d man that will help us in our weakest areas.

It's a gamble banking on Koskinen providing solid play for the remaining 58 games, but I think it's one well worth taking, as I think this is Talbots last year as an Oiler regardless.

Worst case scenario? We move Talbot, Koskinen ****s the bed, and the new oilers GM has 6.6 million dollars to go out and find 2 goaltenders in the offseason.

I really can't see anyone giving Talbot more than 2 years, maybe 3. Not unless he takes his job back and has a stellar season like he did in 16-17

 

[McBigYak]

I really can't see anyone giving Talbot more than 2 years, maybe 3. Not unless he takes his job back and has a stellar season like he did in 16-17

Sorry I guess long term was the wrong word for it. That's exactly what I meant, a 3 year deal. I just can't see the Oilers offering him that unless his game gets back to 16-17 form, which I don't think it will.

If Koskinen continues his strong play, Talbot isn't even going to get in the net enough to shake the cobwebs off. Having a $4.1 million contract on the bench with our cap situation right now is not the best way to go about things. If Koskinen has a strong December, I think Talbot is as good as gone.