Panthers Should Avoid Pursuing Stuart Skinner This Offseason

The following postseason, he earned three shutouts but only a .889 SV%. In his first postseason with the Penguins this season, he had a 3.08 goals-against average (GAA) and a .873 SV% through three games. His inconsistency will spell trouble for the team, especially in the postseason.

Skinner Might Be Looking for a Raise

Skinner signed his current contract in Dec. 2022, a three-year extension worth $2.6 million per year. He will be a free agent this offseason, and after being part of multiple playoff runs, he could ask for a raise. Now, there is nothing wrong with wanting more, but Zito should use that money on a better player or to fill another need on the roster.

Better Goaltending Options on the Market

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck could be looking for a new home after his brutally honest assessment when asked about his future with the team, and he might want to be reunited with his former head coach, Paul Maurice, and his gold medalist teammate, Matthew Tkachuk, in Florida.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson will also be a free agent this summer. The Wild are expected to put their future in the hands of 23-year-old Jesper Wallstedt, so Gustavsson might be looking for a starter’s role somewhere else.

Finally, Bradley Knowing is arguably the best goaltending prospect out of this draft class, and the Panthers should consider selecting him if he happens to fall into their laps.

Will Zito Make the Move?

Unless Zito is desperate, Skinner shouldn’t even be on his radar. While it would be a funny case of “if you can’t beat them, join them”, signing him would cause more harm than good in the long run. The last thing this team needs is more inconsistency.