There was a major shakeup in the goaltending department for the Edmonton Oilers this season, as the club decided that they were no longer able to wait for Stuart Skinner to rediscover his consistency. They shipped him in December along with defenseman Brett Kulak to the Pittsburgh Penguins in return for Tristan Jarry and Sam Poulin.
During his time with the Penguins, Skinner had brief flashes of the kind of brilliance he occasionally displayed during the 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs which resulted in two straight appearances in the Stanley Cup Final. However, just as he did in each of those two playoff runs, Skinner faltered when it mattered most and was eventually replaced in goal.
Skinner and the Penguins were eliminated in six games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal by the in-state rival Philadelphia Flyers, and Skinner was on the bench for the final three games of the series after starting the first three. A pending unrestricted free agent, the initial belief was that Skinner would not be offered a new contract by Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas, but one notable Penguins beat writer believes the door is still potentially open for him to return next season.
Will Former Edmonton Oilers Goalie Stuart Skinner Be Back With The Penguins Next Season?
According to Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe of The Athletic, there is still a pathway for Skinner to be re-signed by Pittsburgh, who reportedly “loved” his presence in the dressing room.
“Goaltender Stuart Skinner, acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in last season’s Tristan Jarry trade, appears unlikely to return to the Penguins. It would take a long shot — trading Artūrs Šilovs — before July 1, when Skinner becomes an unrestricted free agent,” Yohe wrote. “If they dealt Šilovs, the Penguins would be open to teaming Skinner with Sergei Murashov next season. The Penguins loved having Skinner in the locker room.”
Yohe continued:
“Still, smart money says they will re-sign Šilovs, a talented pending restricted free agent whose postseason performance seemed to get the organization’s attention.
While the Penguins’ leadership was delighted with Skinner’s contributions in the locker room, it believed his performance was simply adequate; one team source called his physical attributes “limited” and suggested that Murashov and Šilovs have higher ceilings.”
But ultimately, Yohe believes that Skinner will end up getting paid by another team, despite Pittsburgh being able to afford him given the rising salary cap.
“Skinner isn’t incredible, but he’s solid and has a ton of playoff experience for a 27-year-old,” he concluded. “The Penguins believe someone will pay Skinner serious money over multiple years. Just don’t expect it to be them, given the wealth of goaltending talent on the way from AHL Wilkes-Barre.”
Tristan Jarry Didn’t Exactly Impress With The Oilers
As was the case during his time with the Penguins, Jarry didn’t exactly impress upon his acquisition by the Oilers, and was even on the bench for the majority of their opening round playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks in favor of Connor Ingram.
During his time with the Oilers in 2025-26, Jarry went 9-6-2 with a 3.86 goals-against average and a .857 save percentage.
Twist In Former Oilers Goalie Stuart Skinner’s Future With Penguins