Last season, the Edmonton Oilers decided that they could no longer wait for goaltender Stuart Skinner to rediscover a sense of consistency, and they shipped him as part of a four-player trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins in December that landed them goaltender Tristan Jarry in return.
Skinner would go on to have several positive moments with the Penguins in their return to the playoffs for the first time since 2022, but once again, his inconsistency cost him his spot between the pipes, and he was replaced after Game 4 of the series by Arturs Silovs.
An unrestricted free agent during the offseason, he joined Edmonton’s rival, the Winnipeg Jets, with a two-year, $7.5 million contract.
Former Edmonton Oilers Goaltender Stuart Skinner Has A Major Chance In Winnipeg
Right now, the main storyline with the Jets is the future of goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
Hellebuyck, one of the best players at his position in the NHL and who also helped lead Team USA to a gold medal victory in the 2026 Winter Olympics, requested a trade out of Winnipeg, the only club that he’s played for during his career.
While the Jets acknowledged that Hellebuyck did request a move, there was no further update, and his future in Winnipeg remains up in the air.
If Hellebuyck ultimately gets his wish, it would mean that Skinner is now the top goaltender on Winnipeg’s depth chart. While he’s had his moments with the Oilers and Penguins, a fresh start in Winnipeg could be what he needs to jumpstart his career again.
Skinner, who was pulled from the net in each of Edmonton’s consecutive runs to the Stanley Cup Final, also demonstrated periods of being bonafide starting goaltender material, most notably when he shut down the Dallas Stars in the 2025 Western Conference Final last spring.
The Jets missed the postseason by a wide margin this past campaign, and if Skinner can string together consistent performances, it would go a long way not only in boosting his own confidence, but getting Winnipeg back to Stanley Cup Playoff hockey.
Stuart Skinner Signed A Two Year Contract With The Jets
Skinner, who already knew some of the players on the Jets, said that it was an easy decision to join Winnipeg during the offseason.
“I know some of the guys on the team already living out in Calgary now, so it’ll be easy for me to get on the ice and get some good summer training with those guys and really develop a great relationship with those guys,” Skinner said. “All in all, it’s a great place for me to go, and I’m really excited to be part of this organization.
“I think it’s just the place that I really wanted to go. Talking about the teammates that are there — the type of culture, how it’s managed, ownership, everything like that — was really the exciting part for me.”
Skinner, whom the Oilers took in the 3rd round (74th overall pick) of the 2017 NHL Draft, has gone 121-71-23 while posting a 2.77 goals-against average, a .902 save percentage and racking up nine shutouts in his NHL career.
Ex-Oilers Goalie Stuart Skinner Faces Career-Changing Opportunity With Rival Jets