Roslovic Move Shows Oilers Won’t Wait, Which is Bad News for Skinner

In a rare bit of in-game business, the Edmonton Oilers announced the signing of Jack Roslovic to a one-year, $1.5 million deal during their season opener. It wasn’t the timing that mattered, though — it was the intent. Edmonton chose action over patience, securing a player they would’ve likely been chasing months from now.

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“We talked about it a couple of weeks ago — the type of player we’d look for around the trade deadline would be this type exactly,” GM Stan Bowman explained during an intermission interview. “He’s available now, he’s a free agent, and we can get him signed at a low amount. Instead of waiting to see what’s available later, we think he could be a nice piece to our group right now.”

Related: Oilers Have Signed UFA Forward Jack Roslovic [Report]

That logic speaks volumes. For a team perpetually in “win-now” mode, Edmonton’s biggest challenge has often been timing — adding help too late or holding out for a market that never breaks their way. This time, Bowman saw an opening and jumped.

This might not be good news for goaltender Stuart Skinner, who in game one of the regular season, gave Oilers management a reasonable doubt that he’s the guy.

Roslovic isn’t a blockbuster addition, but he fills a real need: even-strength scoring and pace. “We like guys who have flexibility,” Bowman said. “He can play wing or center and play with pace.” Meanwhile, the Oilers have had what some call a glaring need in goal for two seasons. Skinner played an otherwise solid game on Wednesday night, but his “oops” in the third period, where he didn’t react and play the puck led to Blake Coleman scoring the game-tying goal. The Oilers got a point, but ultimately lost the game.

“If that doesn’t go in, we win the game. Two points,” said Skinner, who liked the way his team responded. “It was one bad decision, and it makes you look really bad…” he added.

The Roslovic Signing Should Sound Alarms for Skinner

The Roslovic move comes with logistical headaches — Edmonton will need to clear space when Zach Hyman returns from LTIR — but that’s a problem Bowman seems comfortable solving later. He wanted the player and said he could look back later in the season and be kicking himself for not adding a solid bet when he had the chance. The focus for Bowman now is on being one step ahead.

For Skinner, that means his leash can’t be very long. Mistakes like the one on Wednesday night can’t happen. At least, not for this netminder. The Oilers will play it off as a weird play and move on. Skinner himself is going to toss it. “I won’t be thinking about it, no,” he said. “It happens. It’s probably the easiest fix I’ll make this year. A quick decision, throw it in the corner, that’s that.”

Still, the Oilers can’t be giving up easy points, of which the opening-night Battle of Alberta should have been one.

If the Roslovic deal signals anything, it’s that this Oilers management group doesn’t plan to sit idle and hope for deadline miracles. Bowman’s message was clear: opportunity doesn’t wait — and this year, neither will Edmonton. That means Skinner needs to avoid gaffes and lapses in communication if he wants not to be the guy the Oilers are looking to replace.

Bowman essentially just said goodbye to two, maybe three useful pieces to bring in Roslovic. Skinner has to know the GM is willing to move on if he’s not getting the job done.

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