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Jun 6, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) makes a save against the Florida Panthers during the second period in game two of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images

Oilers’ Stuart Skinner Deserves a Fresh Start on Another Team

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Dale Bochon | Last updated Jun 21, 2025 2:45 PM ET

It seems as though many fans and media members have mixed feelings when it comes to Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner. As a faithful follower of Alan Mitchell on the Lowdown with Lowtide on Sports 1440 in Edmonton, and Kurt Levins at the Cult of Hockey, I know both of these knowledgeable hockey men believe the Oilers should keep Skinner. They say, look at his age (26) and playoff experience–you can’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. They have a point to an extent, but what about the other intangibles? Skinner’s wife revealed that during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the family received death threats – most of it coming from people pretending to be hockey fans. Based on this alone, if I were Skinner and his agent, I would ask Oilers general manager Stan Bowman for a trade to another market.

Skinner Was Rushed Into the Starting Role in Edmonton

Skinner was born in Edmonton and played his minor hockey in the Edmonton area for the South Side Athletic Club before graduating to the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2013. He played four seasons in the WHL from 2013-18 for Lethbridge before being traded to Swift Current where he helped the Broncos win a WHL championship in 2018. Skinner was drafted in the third round by the Oilers in 2017 (78th overall) and signed a three-year, entry-level contract on May 15, 2018. He started his pro career with the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL in the 2018-19 season, then graduated to the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL) where he spent time from 2019 to 2022.

Skinner was pencilled in to become the Oilers’ backup goalie in the 2022-23 NHL season when he all of a sudden found himself as the Oilers’ starter after free agent signing Jack Campbell faltered. Skinner was thrown from the frying pan into the fire and seemed to thrive under the pressure – being named to the 2023 NHL All-Star Game and 2023 NHL All-Rookie Team. He and his goaltending partner Calvin Pickard have backstopped the Oilers to two straight Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2024 and 2025, but now the Oilers management, led by Bowman, face a conundrum. Do you stick with Skinner for another year at his value contract of $2.6 million per season, or do you move on? Based on the death threats alone, if I were the Oilers, I would try and find him a new home.

Skinner May Flourish Like Devin Dubynk If He Leaves the Oilers

The situation around Skinner reminds me a lot of what former Oilers goaltender Devin Dubnyk went through. Dubnyk was a first-round draft pick of the Oilers in 2004, and played for the franchise from 2009 to 2014. After showing promise early in his time with Edmonton, Dubnyk’s confidence started to slip–not his fault as he was often left hanging by a leaky Oilers defence at the time. With mounting fan pressure, Dubnyk was traded away, but thanks to great coaches like Sean Burke, Dubnyk eventually found his game again, regained his swagger and played in three NHL All-Star Games and was named to the Second All-Star Team in 2015.

I could see Skinner following a similar path to Dubynk because, unfortunately for both goalies, Edmonton is a tough market to play in for goaltenders. You either rise above the pressure like Grant Fuhr, Bill Ranford, Curtis Joseph and Dwayne Roloson, or it eats you up like Jack Campbell and even Mikko Koskinen.

Can the Oilers Realistically Win the Stanley Cup With Skinner?

That’s one of the big questions that needs answering this offseason in Edmonton, that and whether Connor McDavid will sign a new contract or not. At his season-ending press conference, Bowman mentioned, “I don’t want to single the goaltending out. I think it’s something we’ll look at and investigate to determine the best path moving forward for our team. It’s really hard to predict where that’s going to go. We have to have a lot of conversations about what other teams are looking to do, and eventually, we’ll come up with the best approach for our team that we think will give us the best chance next year. And I’m not going to handicap what that’s going to look like because it’s. It’s really too early to tell right now.”

If I were Bowman, I would take the risk of trading Skinner. I would give him a fresh start somewhere else. He’s still young and will most likely develop into an even better goaltender than he is right now, but unfortunately, I don’t think the pressure-cooker of his hometown market is right for him and his family at this moment.

When you look at the list of free agent goaltenders available this summer, there aren’t a lot of options that would be better than Skinner. However, I wouldn’t underestimate Bowman. He traded for Jake Walman out of San Jose this spring, and I’m sure he has a few tricks up his sleeve.

If, in the end, the Oilers decide to keep Skinner, maybe it’s time to look at finding a Burke or Ranford-type of goalie whisperer for him. Something has to change; we’ll see what Bowman and the Oilers brass will do.