Fans of the Edmonton Oilers spent months hoping and praying for general manager Stan Bowman and Co. to make changes between the pipes, to no avail.
The only personnel changes made in the off-season -- aside from switching out Dustin Schwartz for Peter Aubry -- was the addition of Matt Tomkins, allowing players like Olivier Rodrigue to leave the organization.
Then finally, before the commencing of the 2025-26 NHL regular season, the club made a trade to add Connor Ingram from the Utah Mammoth for Future Considerations. A move that was welcomed by many but now that he has gotten a chance with the club, has been underwhelming, especially with his .856 save percentage with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
Finally, in December, the team shipped out Stuart Skinner, adding defenceman Brett Kulak and a 2027 second round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins to acquire goaltender Tristan Jarry. It was a massive move for the Oilers, allowing them to make a big change in a key area.
Stuart Skinner was nearly run out of town
There was a point in November where it felt inevitable that the Oilers would make a move, NHL insider Frank Seravalli even reported that during their big road trip, the club considered bringing up Ingram then just to have a change. As well, Edmonton Journal reporter Jim Matheson point blank said about the fans to Skinner's face in a scrum “They don’t want you."
Things were very contentious but thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and Bowman did not do anything drastic, instead opting to wait it out. Then, heading into December, Skinner and the Oilers started to find their pace but there was a time where it felt that he would be run out of town.
Not long after, the trade was made and now Skinner finds himself sharing a locker room with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, instead of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Penguins fans are learning what Oilers fans knew all along
Since being acquired by the Penguins, Skinner has made three starts with an 0-3-0 record and 4.18 goals against average and .831 save percentage.
It has been a rough transition for the 27 year old goalie who made his debut with his new club against the Oilers, losing 6-4. He has given up no less than three goals in all three games he has played with the Penguins.
It was reported that the Penguins may attempt to flip Skinner at the deadline but it seems hard to imagine that playing out at this stage. Things could of course change but the start has not been promising for the two parties.
This is something that Oilers fans learned a long time ago, Skinner is not the most reliable option in goal. Hopefully for him, he can flip the narrative on his career this season or beyond.