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NHL Analyst Sees Long-Term Deal Ahead for Oilers’ Stuart Skinner

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Aug 11, 2025 9:17 AM ET

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner will soon need a contract extension, and Oilers Nation’s Zach Laing has put forward a projection for it.

Skinner's performance was under scrutiny after back-to-back Stanley Cup Final losses to the Florida Panthers. His postseason numbers dipped in 2024–25, posting a 2.99 goals-against average and .889 save percentage in 15 playoff games, down from 2.45 and .901 the previous spring.

In the Stanley Cup Final, Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky outdueled Edmonton’s tandem of Skinner and Calvin Pickard, with Florida taking the series in six games.

Skinner has one year remaining on his current three-year, $7.8 million contract and will become a free agent in July 2026.

Analyst Projects Long-Term Deal for Oilers' Stuart Skinner

Laing believes the Oilers could lock up the 26-year-old netminder under a long-term deal that sees him reach the final stage of his career wearing Edmonton's jersey.

Projecting what Stuart Skinner’s extension will look like with the Oilers https://t.co/WxjrFezdgI
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) August 9, 2025

In Laing's eyes, the Oilers could sign Skinner to a five-year contract at an annual cap hit of $6.817 million. Laing cited Evolving Hockey’s model, which gives the deal a 22 percent chance of materializing.

"So what would a realistic contract extension look like for Skinner? According to Evolving Hockey, there’s a wide range of outcomes," Laing wrote. "The predicted, or most likely deal is a five-year extension carrying a $6.817-million cap hit — something Evolving Hockey projects to have a 22 percent chance of happening."

Oilers GM Stan Bowman Backs His Goalies

Despite the drop-off from two seasons ago and a second consecutive loss, Oilers general manager Stan Bowman defended his netminders when reviewing the season.

“Just this playoff run is a perfect example,” Bowman said. “In three of the four rounds, we had better goaltending than our opponent. You look at (Los Angeles Kings’ Darcy) Kuemper, (Vegas Golden Knights goalie) Adin Hill, and (Dallas Stars’ Jake) Oettinger, our goalies were better than theirs in each of those series. I think that’s the reason we went to the final.”

Head coach Kris Knoblauch also backed Skinner, starting him in the must-win Game 6 against Florida, one in which Skinner allowed three goals on 23 shots for the final loss of the Oilers' 2024-25 season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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