The Edmonton Oilers entered the 2025-26 season with Stanley Cup expectations. Instead, the year ended with a disappointing first-round playoff exit against the Anaheim Ducks and growing frustration across the fan base.
Much of the criticism landed on Edmonton’s goaltending situation after the team posted a combined .879 save percentage, the fifth-lowest mark in the NHL. But NHL analyst Jason Gregor believes fans are focusing on the wrong issue.
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Speaking on The Jason Gregor Show, Gregor argued the Oilers’ defensive structure deserves far more blame than the goalies themselves.
“Even when you have a great goalie, if you don’t play good team defense, Connor Hellebuyck gets lit up worse than Stuart Skinner,” Gregor said. “At what point is the organization and many of the fans who clamor for the goalie ever gonna realize a lot of it comes down to the d- most of it to the defensive system?
“Yeah, you need your goalie to make a few saves. Sure. But you need to commit and limit high-danger chances. You have to.”
Gregor’s comments came after another season where Edmonton struggled badly defending high-danger chances and managing puck control in its own zone.
Defensive breakdowns exposed the Oilers all season
The Oilers allowed the sixth-most high-danger goals in the league and ranked fourth in giveaways during the regular season. Those problems became even more damaging in the playoffs.
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Edmonton’s penalty kill collapsed to 50 percent against Anaheim, allowing eight power-play goals in the series. Defensive coverage repeatedly broke down around the crease, leaving goaltenders Connor Ingram and Tristan Jarry exposed to uncontested opportunities.
That context matters when evaluating the performance of former goalie like Stuart Skinner.
“Your goalie’s gonna steal a game,” Gregor said. “Stuart Skinner stole them a few games. He did. Right? He won one-nothing games. Won two to one games, getting out-shot thirty-four to ten. Now, you didn’t expect him to carry you every night.
“And nowhere in the Oilers’ payroll ever has a goalie been paid to think he’s going to carry you every night. Not getting paid $10 million, not getting $6 million. Tristan Jarry’s the highest-paid goalie he’s ever had. Now, we can debate if that was a good decision or not till the cows come home.”
Edmonton never built its roster around an elite, franchise-level goalie contract. Instead, the organization invested heavily in offensive talent led by Connor McDavid and expected its defensive structure to support average-to-good goaltending.
Pressure now shifts toward Oilers’ roster structure
Gregor’s argument reflects a larger issue inside Edmonton’s lineup construction. The Oilers still generate offense at an elite level, ranking sixth during 2025-26 regular season with 3.44 Goals for, but their defensive identity remains inconsistent.
Players like Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard faced criticism throughout the season for defensive-zone turnovers and gap control issues. Outside of Mattias Ekholm, the blue line rarely looked stable under pressure.
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With McDavid entering his new 2-year $25 million contract, Edmonton faces an important offseason. Another goalie change alone may not solve the problem. Until the Oilers tighten their defensive structure and reduce high-danger chances, the cycle of blaming the crease will likely continue.
