Is Peter Aubry Getting the Job Done for the Edmonton Oilers?
When the Edmonton Oilers hired Peter Aubry to be their new Goaltending Coach in this past summer, it felt like more than just a coaching shuffle. After years of playoff highs and lows riding on—what has been perceived to be across the hockey world—inconsistent goaltending, the Oilers made a move to address the stability in the crease. And, ultimately, Oilers’ fans were hoping a new voice could finally steady the crease.
Now, 19 games into the 2025–26 season, it’s fair to ask: is Aubry actually making a difference with the 8-7-4 Oilers (67 GA, tied for most in the Pacific Division)?
Aubry, the former professional goalie with experience across North America and Europe, spent years developing goalies in both NCAA and NHL programs. Now, in Edmonton, he’s been hired to help stabilize the Oilers’ primary netminders, helping Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard to raise their games and help the Oilers finish what the organization has set out to do for the last few years—become Stanley Cup Champions.
And from the time Aubry was officially hired to work in Oil Country, both Skinner and Pickard have said the right things when the cameras are rolling.
The Results: Some Progress, Some Head-Scratchers
Still, the results aren’t perfect. Skinner and Pickard have had moments that make fans groan: soft goals, odd rebounds, and those frustrating lapses at critical times. Their names keep popping up in conversations about the Oilers’ biggest problems. At the same time, there are flashes of improvement—cleaner tracking, better rebound control, and more composure in crease-area scrambles. But, as the Oilers head into Game #20 this evening, neither goalie has fully become the team’s anchor yet. Night in and night out, head-scratching by Oilers’ fans has continued into the early part of the 2025-26 season.
Stuart Skinner: 6-4-3 (0.889; 2.75)
Calvin Pickard: 2-3-1 (0.830; 4.17)
So, Quick November 15 Check-In: Is Aubry Working Out in Oil Country?
The short (and, perhaps, safe) answer: maybe. Clearly, it is still early on in regard to Aubry’s time with the Oilers. But, the Oilers don’t just need a maybe at this point in the season—they need consistent, reliable goaltending, not a coin flip in the third period. They need a #1 goalie who can be a difference-maker in the crease—one that can steal a game … and then another … and then another. Is that Skinner? Is that Pickard? Or, does the GM have important work to do?
Now, back to one of the biggest Oilers’ storylines from Summer 2025: Aubry’s process is promising, and Oilers’ fans are hoping he can help make a difference in Oil Country. But, the ultimate question remains: can the Oilers newly-signed Goaltending Coach turn Skinner and Pickard into goalies who deliver night after night? Until then, fans will keep watching, debating, and hoping for the breakthrough that finally settles the crease. And that begins tonight: Oilers’ Game 20.