Soundwave
Registered User
- Mar 1, 2007
- 72,195
- 27,972
Skinner is absolutely the starter. He got them to the playoffs this year when Campbell failed. He did just fine in the starters role and caved during the playoffs. It happens.
Imagine spending a shit ton of assets for Hellebuyck and him having the same post season here that he just had against Vegas, then walking. This place would implode. I’m not saying don’t go for a bonafide starter, just that blowing your load on one of the 4 top goalies in the league may still yield the same results they just had, as evidenced by said starters are getting decimated by a team with good all around defense and a complete question mark in net.
Jack Campbell also had a 21-9-4 regular season record with the Oilers, all that shows you is the team now has enough pure firepower up front and McDavid/Drai have gone to a supernova level, that they can make the playoffs even with 1B/ backup tier goalies in net.
Unfortunately playoffs are not the regular season.
If Hellebuyck was here, I think eventually they'd make a Cup Final or two with him. He is too good of a goalie to not eventually have a couple of hot runs in him behind a decent team that gives a crap (ahem, Winnipeg).
Your job as GM is not to gauruntee something, because that's impossible. Your goal and job is to give your team the best possible chance to win a Cup, unless you are telling me you are going to add a top end no.1 D, then sure any version of the Oilers with Hellebuyck on it likely has a better chance of playing for a Cup than one with Stuart Skinner or Jack Campbell.