After deciding they weren’t able to wait any longer for goaltender Stuart Skinner to re-discover a sense of consistency, the Edmonton Oilers traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins along with defenseman Brett Kulak in exchange for goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin.
The trade had mixed results on both sides. Jarry, like he did with the Penguins and much in the same way that Skinner did, struggled with consistency while wearing an Edmonton uniform and wasn’t able to get the job done; he played sparingly for the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and was on the bench for most of the series in favor of Connor Ingram.
Meanwhile, Skinner had flashes of brilliance with the Penguins after being acquired, but he also faltered when the going got tough in the playoffs, and was eventually replaced in the crease by Arturs Silovs.
Former Edmonton Oilers Goalie Stuart Skinner’s Next Team May Have Been Revealed
After Skinner and the Penguins were eliminated in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs by the in-state rival Philadelphia Flyers, multiple reports emerged that Skinner, who is a pending unrestricted free agent on July 1, will not be brought back to Pittsburgh for next season.
While Skinner’s days as an NHL starter may be behind him, there are still several teams that would likely be open to giving him a chance to provide depth at the backup position. And now, it appears there’s a frontrunner to land him during the offseason.
According to Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Citizen, the Ottawa Senators could show interest in Skinner.
“A name to keep an eye on is Pittsburgh Penguins unrestricted free agent Stuart Skinner. Staios was part of the Edmonton organization before he came to the Senators.
The expectation is he won’t be back with the Penguins next season and the belief is he will be among Ottawa’s top targets in free agency. Skinner made $2.6 million last season and the Senators could be a nice fit because he’d have a chance to help them win without the No. 1 pressure.”
Garrioch continued:
“By all accounts, Skinner is a quality individual who would fit in well here. He finished with a 12-9-5 record in the regular season with the Penguins with a 2.99 goals-against average and a .885 save percentage.”
Stuart Skinner Was Traded To The Penguins From The Oilers
Skinner, who was selected by the Oilers with the 78th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, was in net for Edmonton’s consecutive runs to the Stanley Cup Final.
However, during both runs, he would be replaced by backup Calvin Pickard at various points in the postseason.
So far in his NHL career, he’s posted a record of 121-71-23 along with a 2.77 goals-against average, a .902 save percentage, and nine shutouts. He also has a postseason record of 26-25 with a 2.89 goals-against average, a .892 save percentage, and four shutouts.
He’s coming off a three-year, $7.8 million extension with the Oilers that carried a salary cap hit of $2.6 million. He may need to agree to a short term contract at a reduced salary on his next deal.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Former Oilers Goalie Stuart Skinner Could Be Heading Back To Canada appeared first on HEAVY.