Persistent anxiety over the Edmonton Oilers' performance between the pipes continues to dominate fan conversations, as revealed in the team's weekly mailbag. The concern reached a new peak following a recent 1-0 shutout loss to the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at Rogers Place, a game where the opposing netminder served as a stark reminder of a pivotal draft decision.
The Ghost of Drafts Past: Wallstedt's Edmonton Statement
The central figure fueling the current debate is Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt. Named the NHL's goalie of the month for November, Wallstedt earned his league-leading fourth shutout of the season against the Oilers. The sting for Edmonton fans is acute because Wallstedt was selected 20th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft with a pick that originally belonged to the Oilers.
In that draft, Edmonton traded their first-round selection to Minnesota, who used it to take the Swedish prospect. The Oilers, having missed out on local product Sebastian Cossa five picks earlier, moved down to acquire the 22nd and 90th overall choices. Those picks became winger Xavier Bourgault and defenceman Luca Munzenberger, players who have yet to make a significant NHL impact.
Wallstedt himself addressed the ongoing narrative after his triumphant performance in Edmonton. "I've seen and I heard and there's been way too much made about this," he stated. "I'm drafted by Minnesota and I play here, and I love it since and that's kind of the end of the conversation." However, for Oilers supporters, the conversation is far from over.
Fan Frustration Boils Over in Mailbag
The weekly fan Q&A session highlighted a weary frustration with what many perceive as revisionist history. The mailbag pushed back against the chorus of 'what if' surrounding the 2021 draft, pointing out that 18 other teams also passed on Wallstedt before Minnesota's selection.
The correspondence underscored the unpredictable nature of the NHL draft, where there are no sure things. The mailbag even referenced historical draft curiosities, like the infamous selection of a fictional player, to emphasize that hindsight analysis is often an imperfect and unfair exercise.
One reader, Shawn Tschritter, offered a sardonic take on a recent headline about the team's goaltending prospects being an 'embarrassment of riches.' "The words 'embarrassment' and 'Edmonton Oilers' certainly go together … but it has nothing to do with goaltending prospects," he wrote, directly criticizing the current NHL-level goaltending tandem led by Stuart Skinner.
Looking Forward Amidst the Backward Glances
While the past provides a painful contrast, the present situation remains the core issue for the team and its fanbase. The mailbag serves as a barometer for the pressure mounting on the Oilers' current goaltending group to find consistency and provide the stability required for a team with championship aspirations.
The discussion also served as a reminder of the franchise's own lottery luck, noting that the entire hockey landscape in Edmonton was transformed by winning the 2015 draft lottery and the right to select Connor McDavid. The focus now, however, is not on past victories but on solving a present-day dilemma that fans identify as a critical barrier to success.
As the season progresses, the performance of Skinner and his colleagues in the crease will be under intense scrutiny. The fan sentiment captured in this mailbag makes it clear that for many, addressing the goaltending question is not about revisiting 2021, but about securing victories in 2025 and beyond.
