Why the Edmonton Oilers are unlikely to trade Stuart Skinner
The Edmonton Oilers are still trying to find their groove heading into the quarter mile of the 2024-25 season, but goaltending still remains an issue for the team.
The Edmonton Oilers are coming off an impressive 6-2 victory over the New York Rangers last Saturday, and Stuart Skinner's stock is slowly going up.
With that being said, The 26-year-old goaltender stopped 32 of 34 shots for an excellent .941 save percentage (SV%), but Skinner has failed to string together 2 back-to-back performances, and consistency remains an issue.
Despite a strong showing against the rangersStuart Skinner has had a tough start to the season. Skinner currently has a 3.23 goals-against average (GAA), posting a .882 save percentage (SV%) through 15 regular season games.
Although the Edmonton Oilers fanbase tends to put Stuart Skinner on blast, often calling for changes between the pipes, the Edmonton Oilers are unlikely to trade him. Here's why:
Although Stuart Skinner's performance hasn't exactly inspired a ton of hope as of late, there are still several factors working in his favour.
First off, his cap hit is affordable. Stuart Skinner has a $2.6 million cap hit for this season, extending into the 2025-26 season.
He may not be a Vezina type goaltender, but his next deal should be extremely reasonable, allowing GM Stan Bowman to prioritize his money for larger signings, like Evan Bouchard for example.
Furthermore, NHL goalies are extremely inconsistent and take years to develop. Take the Ottawa Senators for instance. They took a calculated risk by signing Linus Ullmark during the offseason, but his play the past 3 weeks has been brutal.
-The Hockey Writers
The Edmonton Oilers currently have a proven goaltender who's affordable, young, and capable of stepping up in big moments.
Personally, I think the Oilers should stay put with Skinner. He might want to make you pull your hair out sometimes, but there's still plenty of time for him to improve.
