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Stuart Skinner, Edmonton Oilers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Oilers Fans Should Feel Very Confident in Starting Stuart Skinner

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Rupert McDonald | Last updated May 10, 2025 3:25 PM ET

The Edmonton Oilers received some tough news this morning, as it was confirmed that Calvin Pickard won’t be starting Game 3. The 32-year-old has been listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, though many believe it may have occurred late in the third period of Game 2 after he had Tomas Hertl accidentally fall on his leg, a play which seemed to shake him up.

With Pickard out, the Oilers will be turning to Stuart Skinner as they attempt to take a 3-0 series lead over the Vegas Golden Knights. The 26-year-old’s poor performance early in Round 1 led to him being replaced by Pickard, and has resulted in the fan base’s confidence in him being quite low. That said, there is plenty of reason to believe Skinner can not only survive, but thrive for the Oilers in this situation.

Skinner Has Been Here Before

The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs didn’t get off to a very good start for Skinner. He was average-at-best in their first round series versus the LA Kings, and wound up being replaced by Calvin Pickard for two games in the second round versus the Vancouver Canucks. He wound up getting the call to start again with the Oilers trailing that series 3-2, however, and delivered two straight wins to close out the series.

Skinner remained in the net for the rest of the postseason, and helped lead the Oilers to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. He was rock solid in that Game 7, allowing just two goals in what wound up being a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers.

Skinner showed during that run that he had the mental toughness to take a break, reset, and come back better than ever. It was quite impressive from a goalie who was still rather inexperienced, especially in the playoffs. Now a year older and having that past experience under his belt should allow for him to do more of the same this time around.

Skinner Has Strong Track Record Against Vegas

Though the past two regular seasons have been far short of superb from Skinner, he has played very well whenever he’s gone up against the Golden Knights. In fact, in his last five starts versus the Western Conference powerhouse, he’s played some of his best hockey.

Dating back to the 2023-24 season, Skinner has made five starts versus the Golden Knights. In those five starts, he’s kicked aside 148 of 162 shots for a .914 save percentage (SV%). In the three starts he made against the Golden Knights in 2024-25, he stopped 85 of 92 shots for a dazzling .924 SV%.

Having success against a certain team can provide great confidence for a goaltender, and should work wonders for Skinner in tonight’s game, and perhaps beyond if Pickard is to miss more time. Though the polarizing Oilers goaltender is far from perfect, he is capable of putting together very good starts, and has done so plenty against the Golden Knights in recent history. Fans should not be surprised to see more of that on display this evening.

Skinner Can Change the Narrative

When Skinner was replaced by Pickard in last year’s playoffs, seemingly all fans and media alike were talking about how he wasn’t the guy to lead the Oilers to a Stanley Cup. Instead of letting that get to him, he was able to block out the noise and play some of the best hockey of his career. Fast forward a year later, and he’s in the same position, as he’s been criticized more than arguably any other player in the league to this point in the postseason.

This current situation presents Skinner with an excellent opportunity to change the narrative surrounding his name once again. Should he pick up a victory tonight, the Oilers will likely turn to him in Game 4 regardless of whether Pickard is deemed ready to go. He has a chance to reclaim his position as the Oilers’ starting goalie and lead them back to the same heights they reached one year ago.