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EDMONTON, AB - It was a crowded shuttle for Dylan Wells as he tried to find a spot alongside Olivier Rodrigue and Shane Starrett aboard the cart that would transport the fully-equipped goaltenders to the Downtown Community Arena.
There would be no room for Stuart Skinner even if he tried. The forwards and defencemen weren't offered the luxury.
Goalies can be a pretty close-knit bunch for a position where only one body can occupy the blue paint, and you could see the comradery on the ice and hear it in the voices of the Oilers netminders who've competed together through the first two days of Development Camp in Edmonton.

DEV CAMP COVERAGE
FEATURES
DEV CAMP: Post pals
DEV CAMP: Starrett gets new routine
BLOGS
DEV CAMP: Marody eyes roster spot
DEV CAMP: Coffey takes the reins
DEV CAMP: Kemp is 'fired up'
DEV CAMP: Benson's confidence
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DEV CAMP: Yamamoto motivated
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PHOTO GALLERIES
Oilers Development Camp Day 2
Oilers Development Camp Day 1
"All the goalies here are character guys," Wells said of his crease counterparts. "The competition is really healthy and we're always pushing each other whatever the drill is. No matter the guy, everyone's rooting for one other out there as you want to see everyone get better.
"You're able to see what you need to work on to get better and realize your strong suits too," Wells said following his final year of junior in Peterborough. "It was tough, but I wouldn't have changed it. As you get older you try to build that consistency, and that's what I'm trying to do."
Following a midseason trade to Swift Current from the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Edmonton, AB native Stuart Skinner helped lead the Broncos to a WHL championship and berth in the 2018 Memorial Cup with 16 wins and a .932 save-percentage during the postseason. Alongside he and Wells' four years of experience, coupled with a sophomore season for Starrett in the ECHL with the Wichita Thunder, the six-foot-three netminder has a lot of wisdom to bestow.
"All these guys are great human beings and hard-workers. Obviously they're all professional athletes," Skinner added. "Rodrigue is coming into his first professional camp, and just seeing him on the ice you can see he's a special goaltender. The same goes for Starrett and Wells. I've been playing with those guys for a little bit now and we have a really good friendship."

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They're not afraid to keep it friendly with one another, and neither are the coaching staff.
Goaltending coach Dustin Schwartz, a former WHL goalie with the Medicine Hat Tigers and Red Deer Rebels from 1996-2000, has plenty of guidance to provide alongside four-year Goalie Development Coach Sylvain Rodrigue, who's also the father of Olivier.
"It's Development Camp so we're pushing each other to learn new things and step outside our comfort zones. It is a bit uncomfortable at times when you push yourself to the limit but it's all for the point of getting better."
Wells took on a veteran role and a larger workload with the Peterborough Petes this past season, playing 56 games following a run to the OHL Conference Final a year prior. The six-foot-two, 20-year-old goalie adds his four years of junior experience to an Oilers goaltending prospect pool at Development Camp that includes Stuart Skinner, sophomore Shane Starrett, and recent Oilers second-round pick Olivier Rodrigue.
"Schwartz is great and does everything in a fun and positive way," Skinner said. "He's a pretty funny guy and he always keeps things light. Sometimes you have to duck from his shot getting slapshots to the head but it's part of the game. That's why we're goaltenders.
"Dustin and Sly are fantastic goalie coaches and I've learned a lot from them."
Despite improvements, Skinner notes his language skills might need to improve the more he plays alongside Olivier Rodrigue.
"We're good friends and Olivier has his French, so you kind of have to talk in a French way but still in English," joked Skinner. "I don't know any French."