Oilers’ Goalie Coach Change Hints at Plans for Skinner & Pickard

Skinner, 25, is the team’s starter and has previously backstopped Edmonton’s run to the Stanley Cup Final. Both in 2024 and 2025, he had multiple series where he was better than some of the league’s elite netminders. Meanwhile, Pickard impressed as a backup, earning trust to take spot duty or go on a run of several wins in a row during this past season’s playoff push.

Both netminders are capable, and rather than making sweeping changes in goal — spending a lot more in salary to upgrade the position — the Oilers will try a coaching adjustment first.

The team did add goaltender Matt Tomkins for additional depth, but there’s growing belief that the Skinner-Pickard duo will remain intact. With limited cap flexibility and more pressing needs elsewhere in the lineup, this is a logical step to test for improvement. The team quickly learned that there weren’t many upgrades available on the market, and none were without sacrificing in other areas.

A new voice in the goalie department is viewed as a way to help both netminders reach another level without disrupting the chemistry that helped the Oilers push deep into the playoffs.

Elsewhere, the Oilers approached several players with no-trade clauses earlier this offseason to gauge their willingness to move, but most opted to stay. This included Darnell Nurse and Adam Henrique. In other words, the Oilers are trying to clear space, in the event that they do need to add during the season.