One thing that is always a topic of conversation with the Oilers is goaltending. Mike Smith is 40 years old, but through the first 2 rounds, he played absolutely insane. Going into the third round, Smith had a .930 save percentage, but the Avalanche were able to get to him and he ended the post season with a .913, a significant drop.
Today the Edmonton Oilers had a press conference and the General Manager Ken Holland totally tossed Mike Smith under the bus.
He talked about how he knows offseason changes will be coming because they can't afford to keep the whole team together, but he made one specific comment that related to Mike Smith:
"I don't think we have a number one goalie..."
Oilers GM Ken Holland unsure of goaltending situation ahead of offseason: https://t.co/bIAKZHNlDo #TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/tZtG9eM3sD� TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) June 8, 2022
Smith still has one more year on his current deal that comes with a cap hit of $2,200,000, but a topic lately is he is considering retirement.
Smith went 16-9-2 this season for the Oilers while battling injuries, so he is still a capable goaltender, but the Oilers would definitely benefit from a bonafide young starter.
POLL | ||
Is Mike Smith a starting goalie? | ||
yes | 319 | 27.3 % |
no | 848 | 72.7 % |
List of polls |