EDMONTON – He put up some pretty decent numbers last season behind one of the National Hockey League’s most porous defences, yet somehow Devan Dubnyk never gets entry to the The Club here in Edmonton.
Taylor Hall? Jordan Eberle? Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? Nail Yakupov? Justin Schultz? They’re all members; a cadre of talent expected to be around when, in theory, the Oilers compete for a Stanley Cup one day. But Dubnyk? He can barely get a day pass into that group.
The forgotten first-rounder (14th overall in 2004) has always been one bad goal away from being traded on Twitter. Or in the case of this season, two poor starts away from total abandonment by the fanbase. “Contrary to what some people believe, I’m not going to let in five goals every time out,” the 27-year-old said on Wednesday, a wry smile on his lips. “Everyone likes to question what I’m doing right now, and it comes with the territory. It’s two games. It’s going to be up to me to end that.”
The guy most fans wanted as captain-Hall-was minus-5 in Edmonton’s first two games. Yakupov doesn’t have a point yet in three starts, and has not been very good. Eberle? Goal-less so far this season. Yet in Edmonton, they’re not just questioning what Dubnyk is doing “right now,” they’ve been questioning what he’s being doing since about 2009. “I want to say it’s not something I can control, but obviously I can. By playing better.” Dubnyk admits. “And I will. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I was great and nothing was my fault. If I was doing that, then yes, we would have a problem.”
The Oilers organization has invested a decade into grooming Dubnyk since drafting him out of the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League and, for the most part, the front office has been supportive. But not always. Former GM Steve Tambellini swung and missed with St. Louis on Ben Bishop last February. And speaking to a gathering of season ticket holders in May, just after he took the job, current GM Craig MacTavish said: “I’ve always believed that when you’re assessing goaltenders, if you have to ask the question you know the answer. The question would be: has Devan established himself as a No. 1 goalie in the National Hockey League? And I still think it’s a valid question.” He then actively tried to acquire goalies Cory Schneider and Jonathan Bernier. And is still on the lookout.
Dubnyk responded by opening the regular season with two shoddy games. The stats are ugly-.831 save percentage, 6.52 GAA-and the two blueline bombs that found the back of the net were even uglier, exacerbating the Twitter turmoil around the 6-foot- 6 ‘tender.
Then there are the new pads. A bad rumour started that Dubnyk’s pads were reduced more than any other NHL goalie, but in fact, he only lost 1.15 inches off the top. Less than half of what some others were forced to pare. He’s only playing like it’s an issue. “Thanks for the excuse, but it’s not true,” he said. “I’m in the same boat as everyone else.”
Though it is slowly knitting together under new head coach Dallas Eakins, Edmonton’s is still a dressing room of cliques. They include the boys in The Club, one of whom may have to be dealt to bring some size into this Top 6. Newcomers like David Perron, Andrew Ference and Boyd Gordon, who privately must marvel at the lack of defensive commitment here compared to the teams they played on last season. And a small number of fill-in guys who are holding chairs for prospects like Darnell Nurse and Oscar Klefbom.
To which group does Dubnyk belong? Hey, he’s just trying to get his groove going this season. “It’s six days into a 180-some day season,” he said this week. “Everyone seems to get a little more excited one way or another.”
It’s also 10 seasons since draft day for Dubnyk. He knows the window for joining The Club is closing. It’s a pressure that can’t be helping, and his coach believes he takes poor games to heart too much. “I think he takes it personally,” said Eakins. “The goalie makes saves (and) he’s supposed to do that. He lets one in, and that’s the highlight. That’s what everybody points a finger at.”
The finger. Dubnyk gets it from this fan base, and even his own organization, more often than not.