The Edmonton Oilers have claimed goaltender Alex Stalock off of waivers from the Minnesota Wild as a goaltending reinforcement. The move comes as Edmonton struggles to find a consistent duo at the position; Mike Smith is doing well, but Mikko Koskinen is not. Elliotte Friedman reported the claim late Monday morning.
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Oilers Claim Alex Stalock
The 33-year-old Stalock has not played in 2020-21 due to the league’s current health protocols. His last significant action came last year when he appeared in 38 games with a .910 save percentage and 2.67 goals-against-average. It was easily one of the veteran’s best seasons despite it’s lack of flash. Stalock was roughly average when compared to the whole league, but he benefitted from a good Minnesota system that focuses on limiting scoring chances.
The San Jose Sharks originally drafted the 6′-0″ Stalock in the fourth round of the 2005 Draft. The St. Paul, Minnesota native played for his first team from 2011-12 through 2015-16. San Jose traded Stalock to the Toronto Maple Leafs in early 2016, but he did not appear with the Canadian franchise before signing with Minnesota as a free agent. Overall, Stalock has appeared in 151 NHL games with a career .909 save percentage and 2.61 goals-against. He also has a .910 save percentage and 2.54 goals-against in eight playoff contests.
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What This Means for the Future
It’s hard to know what Stalock can contribute at this stage of the season. He’s missed just under half of Edmonton’s 56 games. They layoff might not affect someone with his experience too much, but there’s no way to predict his readiness assuming he can play soon. However, he should be a quality option in the net considering Edmonton’s struggles at the position; Smith is the only goaltender to appear in a game with a save percentage above .902. The Oilers desperately need some competency to maintain their spot in the North Division for the remainder of the year.
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