Oilers' lack of overall response to Mikko Rantanen's hit on Stuart Skinner prompts NHL analyst to question their roster construction

Mikko Rantanen delivered a brutal hit on Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner while going for a puck behind the net. Skinner was hit directly in the head, and the goalie was clearly shaken up after it. The Oilers, though, didn't seem to respond directly to it by confronting or fighting Rantanen.

This has one hockey analyst questioning if the Oilers have the right roster construction. The team has said it will internally handle the lack of response bit while Corey Perry, in particular blaming himself for not seeing and responding to the play.

NHL analyst Ray Ferraro said via the Edmonton Journal:

“Maybe they didn’t think this through with roster construction enough. Maybe you do need to be heftier. Maybe you do need to be a little bigger. And I would say that’s a pretty fair view of their team."

He believes a lack of size on the team is proving to be an issue right now.

"They signed Skinner and Arvidsson, who are both 5’9”, and you could have addressed that with bigger people if you thought down the road this could be a concern," the analyst added.

"That also led into the Broberg/Holloway thing. That’s something different. But your roster construction basically tells you what kind of team you’ve got, and what you’re able to do.”

Ferraro understands it's easy enough to miss a play when on the ice if players aren't involved, but many were standing around wondering if Skinner was fine after and didn't retaliate.

---

NHL insider believes Mikko Rantanen didn't deliver a dirty hit

Mikko Rantanen skated by and drilled Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner in the head, a play that prompted questions of intent. However, despite how bad the hit was and how bad it looked, one NHL insider doesn't think it was dirty.

Mikko Rantanen hit Stuart Skinner in the head (Imagn)

Ray Ferraro said via the Edmonton Journal:

“The puck’s behind the net. Rantanen is going to it… I don’t think he’s trying to hit Skinner at all. However, he does… Skinner clearly was shaken up and hopefully he’s all right. But I really don’t see intent in the play. I see a guy going to after the puck.”

The puck sailed behind the net, and the Dallas Stars player went to get it, but Skinner had fallen to the ground in the path that Rantanen was taking, and he hit him in the helmet with his lower body.