EDMONTON – Good goaltending is imperative to winning a Stanley Cup.
While the Edmonton Oilers might not be able to acquire an elite starter, the tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard has been good enough to lead them to two consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances.
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But, they don’t want to just “appear” in the Cup Final – they want to win it all.
That’s why Nico Daws is the best young goalie they can get their hands on this offseason.
The Oilers have been connected to Michael DiPietro of the Boston Bruins and Sebastian Cossa of the Detroit Red Wings. However, the New Jersey Devils' protégé might be the better acquisition target.
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The first box Daws ticks off is his NHL experience. While Cossa and DiPietro have good upside potential, Daws has played 52 NHL games to DiPietro’s three and Cossa’s single NHL outing.
There is minimal, if any, opportunity for Daws to play in the NHL this season. Jake Allen and Jacob Markstrom are returning to tend the twine, leaving Daws on the outside looking in. That checks off box number two for the Oilers; their organization presents a better opportunity for Daws than his current one.
Finally, Daws has better results in a bigger sample size than the aforementioned DiPietro and Cossa.
Daws has a career 2.98 goals against average (GAA), a .898 save percentage (SV%), and one shutout. Last season, he only played six games. In those games, he posted a 1.60 GAA, a .939 SV%, and one shutout.
If the Oilers are going to take a gamble on a young goalie, there are much worse options than Daws.
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