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Edmonton Oilers: Is Mikko Koskinen a Future Starting Goalie?

By Warsame A

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - APRIL 8, 2018: SKA St Petersburg's goaltender Mikko Koskinen in Game 6 of the 2017/2018 Kontinental Hockey League Western Conference final best-of-seven playoff between CSKA Moscow and SKA St Petersburg at CSKA Arena; CSKA Moscow won the game 3 - 2. Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS (Photo by Stanislav KrasilnikovTASS via Getty Images)
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - APRIL 8, 2018: SKA St Petersburg's goaltender Mikko Koskinen in Game 6 of the 2017/2018 Kontinental Hockey League Western Conference final best-of-seven playoff between CSKA Moscow and SKA St Petersburg at CSKA Arena; CSKA Moscow won the game 3 - 2. Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS (Photo by Stanislav KrasilnikovTASS via Getty Images) /
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It was announced on May 1 that the Edmonton Oilers signed Mikko Koskinen to a one-year deal. Is he the solution to their goaltending problem?

For the Edmonton Oilers, their goaltending situation has been all over the place this past season. Cam Talbot was considered to be the long-term solution between the pipes with his stellar work in the 2016-17 season.

But what happened soon afterward was a mitigated disaster not only for Talbot but also for the Oilers as well. He didn’t live up to the standards he displayed the year before, but he can’t get all the blame. Some of that responsibility also lies with the defencemen who were consistently horrible and made Talbot pay with their mistakes.

Al Montoya didn’t fare any better than his counterpart, but most of the media doesn’t seem to care about that angle either. That’s why the news of the Edmonton Oilers signing Mikko Koskinen on May 1 to a one year contract is very interesting.

He’s spent most of his career playing in Europe, especially in the KHL averaging 1.99 goals against average with a .926 save percentage. Those are exceptional numbers for the 29-year-old Finnish goalie, but it’s hard to imagine that he can post those same numbers against world-class talent in the NHL.

Doom to fail

The reason why is because he’s doomed to fail because of the defencemen playing in front of him. A lot of fans and some in the media think that he might be a potential starter down the road if Talbot doesn’t play well next year.

That could be a possibility but not the whole story, especially if Peter Chiarelli doesn’t make significant changes this summer. If that same defensive core remains for next season, Mikko Koskinen will not succeed as a back-up, let alone as a starter.

The Achilles Heel of the Edmonton Oilers has been defense, especially on the penalty killing and turnovers. Mikko Koskinen has shown overseas in international leagues and tournaments that he is the goalie that this team desperately needs.

But talent and experience can get you so far if you have the right pieces around you.

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