The Edmonton Oilers are still in the playoff picture, but their season has raised several questions about roster decisions. Their injuries, defensive lapses, and uncertainty in goal have shaped much of the conversation around the team.
And now one move made earlier in the season has once again drawn attention.
Analyst Criticizes Stan Bowman’s Stuart Skinner–Tristan Jarry Trade
The Oilers defeated the Nashville Predators 3-1 on Sunday, ending a two-game losing streak. The result helped the team stabilize after a few difficult outings. However, this trend has persisted for too long now, enough to raise questions about their readiness as the playoffs approach.
Edmonton holds a 32-26-9 record and sits third in the Pacific Division. The offense continues to produce at a strong rate, but the team has struggled in other areas.
Their goaltending has been one of the biggest challenges this season. Early in the year, Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard both struggled to provide reliable results. At one point, the Oilers’ save percentage hovered around .869, which created serious concern for a team expected to contend.
Those results led to a major trade in December. Edmonton sent Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In return, the Oilers acquired goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Samuel Poulin.
The move was intended to bring stability in goal, but the situation has become even more complicated.
Jarry has played 29 games during the 2025-26 season and holds a 16-9-2 record. He also carries a 3.40 goals-against average and an .883 save percentage overall. However, his numbers since joining Edmonton (7-6-1 record) have completely dropped, with a 4.17 goals-against average and an .855 save percentage.
One of his most difficult games came on March 12 against the Dallas Stars. Jarry allowed 7 goals on 27 shots in a 7-2 loss. The performance heightened the discussion of Edmonton’s goaltending decisions.
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The Oilers have now shifted their approach in the crease. Connor Ingram has recently received more starts as the team searches for a reliable option heading toward the end of the season.
TSN reporter Ryan Rishaug shared an update about the change on X. “Knoblauch acknowledging today that Connor Ingram is their starting goalie and will be given starts as such. He also said they’ll need Jarry down the stretch, and that improvement for him starts in practice to find confidence.”
The post quickly drew a response from NHL analyst Josh Yohe. Yohe reshared the post and criticized the original trade that brought Jarry to Edmonton. “That trade was a fireable offense for Stan Bowman. And what makes it worse is that anyone who had been paying attention knew this to be the case on the day it was made.”
Edmonton is adjusting its goaltending plans while moving through the final stretch of the season. But their current goalie tandem will keep the fans unsettled if the team’s inconsistency continues.
