Edmonton Oilers
2021 NHL Draft Mistake Coming Back To Haunt The Oilers
The Oilers’ draft mistake is resurfacing as Jesper Wallstedt dominates and Edmonton’s goaltending struggles raise new questions about 2021.
The Edmonton Oilers don’t need any more reminders about their shaky goaltending situation, but Jesper Wallstedt is making sure they get one anyway. The Minnesota Wild rookie is on an absolute heater, and with every shutout, every highlight save, and every eye-popping stat, the Oilers’ 2021 draft decision looks worse.
Wallstedt has been lights-out over his last five starts, going 5-0-0 while stopping 163 of 168 shots for a ridiculous 0.99 GAA and .970 save percentage. In his past four games alone, he’s posted three shutouts, four wins, a .978 save percentage, and a 0.75 GAA — and he single-handedly snapped Minnesota’s nine-game skid against the Jets. His latest outing? A perfect 32-save shutout that made him the youngest goalie in Wild history to record a five-game winning streak. He now leads the league in shutouts with three in just eight starts.
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Meanwhile, north in Edmonton, Stuart Skinner has been solid, but polarizing. He’s helped get the Oilers to two straight Stanley Cup Finals, but the team has lost both. He’s up and down this season, leaving questions about his ability to tend goal on a championship team. He has surrendered four or more goals in several recent outings. And as Oilers fans watch Wallstedt soar while their own crease remains a question mark, the frustration has boiled over online.
Replies to Wallstedt posts are full of comments like “Wallstedt has more shutouts than Skinner has wins this month” and “Trade Skinner for Wallstedt.”
The fact the Oilers could have had Wallstedt isn’t the only part of the 2021 draft that stings.
The Oilers Passed Up on Wallstedt to Take Borgault
The sting is that Edmonton had Wallstedt gift-wrapped in 2021. Holding the 20th pick, the Oilers traded down to 22 so Minnesota could take the top goalie prospect on the board. Edmonton selected Xavier Bourgault instead, later flipped him to Ottawa, while their third-round pick from that trade — Luca Munzenberger — never signed and now plays in Germany’s second tier.
Now Wallstedt is thriving with a .935 SV% and a 1.94 GAA, and the Oilers are once again scrambling for answers in net. It’s not just a missed pick — it’s a full-blown “what if” that won’t stop haunting them.
Next: Oilers Suddenly With Huge Opportunity — If They Can Take Advantage
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