Oilers Mailbag: How concerning is the goaltending situation?

EDMONTON — It’s the last mailbag of the season, before we trade in our laptop for a lawn chair and our suit for a (wake) surf board. 

Let’s go! 

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“Is keeping (Brett) Kulak reasonable given he has an internal replacement that needs minutes (Philip) Broberg and Oilers desperately need cap space? If Kulak does return, is pairing Broberg with (Mattias) Ekholm the logical choice?” — Den Polland. 

Well Den, on a team that needs one more NHL defenceman to navigate four rounds of playoff hockey, I’m not moving a legit NHL D-man out and handing the job to a kid who has never done it before. Kulak anchoring the third pairing is just fine. It’s the Top 4 that needs to play better, or be upgraded, IMO. 

As for Broberg, I would absolutely pair him with Ekholm this season, and hope for the same stability and improvement that Evan Bouchard displayed last season when paired with the steady Swede. 

Bouchard is ready to leave the nest. Play him with Darnell Nurse, allowing Nurse to stay home more often, and let Ekholm help develop the next young blue-liner. If the trade deadline arrives and Broberg isn’t ready, then act accordingly. 

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“The ‘tending remains the biggest issue. As a wise man said, hope is not a strategy.” — Murdoch Davis. 

There is legitimate concern here, Murdoch. Who knows if Jack Campbell will be better this season? And what if Stuart Skinner goes through the same sophomore slump that so many second-year players have over the years? 

I thought head coach Jay Woodcroft should have given Campbell a playoff start or two, the way he did all season long. Skinner was visibly tired, and his game was on a downward trend versus Vegas. The future, as Boston also learned, is two goalies all season, and two goalies in the playoffs as well, to some extent. 

If I’m Ken Holland, I give Skinner every chance to turn last year’s playoff experience into the requisite confidence to become an NHL No. 1, and I give Campbell the chance to play all season long the way he played as a playoff reliever. Like my blueline, if goaltending is a problem I can remedy that at the deadline. 

But spending trade capital at that position is worst-case scenario, on a team that is hoping to add the right skater in March — not rescue a goalie situation that could undermine everything if it goes sour. 

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“(Filip) Zadina was a Holland draft pick… On a league minimum or similar 1-year deal, yay or nay?” — @Riders2022. 

Nay, nay, nay. Anyone have a horse? Naaaaayyyyyy….. 

I admire the fact Zadina voided his contract, opening the door for him to revive his NHL career with a new team. That took courage and self-belief. 

But Edmonton doesn’t need a young, un-developed, offence-first winger. They score plenty, which is why I’ve been against spending huge trade capital on Erik Karlsson. 

Edmonton needs forwards who help keep the puck out of their net in key moments. Zadina does not fit that profile. 

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“Will the Oilers use their new buyout window now that (Ryan) McLeod is going to arbitration? If so, would the Oilers buy out Jack Campbell and replace him with someone else?” — Brandon. 

A couple of things here, Brandon. 

If the McLeod (and Bouchard) contract numbers came in surprisingly high, I might agree: Campbell is the buy-out candidate on the Oilers. 

But Holland has the budget for what he expects the Bouchard/McLeod numbers to be. It’s highly unlikely that a GM who did not want to swallow that huge buy-out a few weeks ago — $13.3 million spread over eight years — will have his mind changed by a potential arbitration award to McLeod. 

Now, if Campbell has another sub-par season? Let’s talk again... 

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“What are the chances we land (Jonathan) Toews, and do we really even want him?” — Michelob. 

This is what we know: Through former Chicago teammate Duncan Keith, who is a member of Holland’s staff, the Oilers had been keeping track of Toews, as he decides if he’s ready for life after the Blackhawks. 

Edmonton isn’t the only team keeping tabs on Toews, however, and the fact that it is July 7 and nobody has pulled the trigger speaks to the fact the player is not giving off a vibe that he’s ready to resume his career. 

For a team seeking a fourth-line centre, who wouldn’t want the old Jonathan Toews: a focused, defensively aware, fit and experienced leader to hop over the boards for a faceoff late in a game with a one-goal lead? 

But Toews wasn’t that player last year in Chicago. Hasn’t been for a while, as he has battled long COVID-19 and some other elements that have impinged on his fitness. 

Holland would sign the old Toews in a heartbeat. But does the old Toews still exist? 

Word is Toews won’t play next season. When his agency sent out its list of pending free agents, we are told his name was not even on the list.