3 reasons Jake Guentzel would be an outstanding addition for the Oilers

Guentzel could provide some relief in the defensive zone

While Guentzel’s defensive game isn’t on par with players like Connor McDavid’s or even some of the better defensive forwards in the league, it’s still good enough to provide much-needed help in preventing pucks from invading the crease. 

The Oilers have been a good team defensively, but we also know goaltender Stuart Skinner has not enjoyed a great season to date. He’s had some outstanding moments, mainly during Edmonton’s winning streak, but he’s again fallen back into obscurity with a 2-3-1 record and a paltry 0.858 save percentage since February 10th. 

Skinner has only faced roughly 26.6 shots on goal per game this season, with 1,094 shots against across 41 contests, so it’s not like opponents are putting a ton of pressure on him. He also already has nine really bad starts, tying the number he had last season, but through 50 games. 

Enter Jake Guentzel, who, despite logging just 36 hits and 21 takeaways this year, has shown in the past he can be a more aggressive player and one who can also use his stick to separate opponents from the puck 40-plus times per season. So, while Guentzel isn’t renowned throughout the league for his defensive play, he would bring enough to the table to at least help take a little more pressure off of Skinner.