Edmonton Oilers: Is Laurent Brossoit NHL Ready

With Laurent Brossoit struggling last season, the Edmonton Oilers went into the 2016 off-season in the market for a backup goaltender. In turn, they signed Jonas Gustavsson to a one-year deal.

However, that of course, fell through, as Gustavsson failed to impress. He went 3-1-0 in five starts, posting a 3.10 GAA and .878 save mark. While he was a proven NHL backup int he past, his poor play resulted in an eventual assignment to the Bakersfield Condors.

Edmonton Oilers

With that move, the Oilers gave Brossoit his second chance to make his mark in the NHL. A similar storyline played out last season, when Edmonton traded Anders Nilsson and called up Brossoit for the end of the year.

Last season, Brossoit started five games, but went 0-4-1, posting a 3.60 GAA and a .873 save percentage. He lacked confidence or certainty in the cage, and his streaky play led to Cam Talbot taking on an extra workload.

Overworking Talbot

And while he can handle it, it’s not ideal for a starting goaltender to start each game. In fact, they need a break every now and again, because fatigue can overwork them and lead to exhaustion. And when this happens, they can enter a long spell of struggles, and grow slower in their game. It’s only natural.

So, when it comes to Brossoit, the Oilers decided to see if he could step up and be a stable backup in net. That means that without Cam Talbot, Brossoit needs to be capable of keeping the Oilers in their hockey games. And while the team should win hockey games thanks to a collective effort, Talbot has a way of assuring that the team is at its best defensively. And Brossoit should do the same.

This season, he has posted a .910 save mark and a 2.89 GAA, but he has only started two games this season. Those are decent backup numbers; however, he has looked soft and shaky at times and has given up goals he should have had.

Brossoit is a skilled goaltender, and he is well on his way to a successful career in the NHL, but he first needs to build confidence and work on his game. He needs to have better lateral movement, and stop pucks on the short side. If he can work on that, he will do just fine.

Is he ready?

Again, Brossoit has a lot of potential. However, he could use more practice and development time before he jumps into a full-time role. The 23-year-old netminder is still young and finding his overall game, and knows how to succeed and build confidence at the minor league level.

When he’s fully ready, he can make that jump, instead of entering into the slot of a backup netminder in the throes of the team’s playoff race. Not to mention, considering Talbot is one of the league’s leaders when it comes to games started, Brossoit has more pressure on his shoulders.