Seravalli says Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner will get his Calder Trophy vote
1 year ago
Stuart Skinner gave the Edmonton Oilers a glimpse of what he was capable of last season. In his brief 13-game stint, Skinner had a .913 save percentage and even secured a 20-save shutout against the San Jose Sharks.
Funny enough, that shutout performance was the last fans saw of Skinner that season, after being sent down to the Bakersfield Condors.
Despite a good goaltending display from Mike Smith during the Oilers’ playoff run to the Western Conference Finals, the decision to send Skinner down made people question what could have been if the team stood by him for longer. This season, fans are getting those questions answered.
Skinner has forced his way into the starters crease and solidified himself as the most reliable goaltender on this team. Granted, Jack Campbell has helped that situation with a 0.886 save percentage along with a 3.48 goals-against average; however, the Edmonton native has not been handed the role because his partner has not met expectations. This season, Skinner has a .911 save percentage, 2.84 goals against average and one shutout, which came last week in a huge divisional game versus the Los Angeles Kings.
Mike McKenna from Daily Faceoff joined Tyler Yaremchuk and me on Oilersnation Everyday the other week and has this to say about the rookie goaltender:
“I think he will be fine. I do not think you should have overwhelming confidence that Stuart Skinner is going to go out and steal a series. To me, he has just been a very consistently good goaltender. Not great but very few poor outings and, for a team like Edmonton, that is really all they need. I would rather have Skinner in there averaging 2.75 a night than having the uncertainty of Jack Campbell.”
“Stuart has been excellent and he is your starter. However, his numbers are average, as much as he has been an important part of this team. If I was voting today, I would have Stuart Skinner in the number one spot on my ballot for the Calder (Trophy) ahead of Matty Beniers. That is not a spicy take because I do not think the (Edmonton) Oilers make the playoffs without Skinner and the year he has had. His numbers are just a little above average and he (probably) is not a series or a game stealer, I think. He has been exactly what the Oilers needed and nothing more.”
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In comparison to other rookie goaltenders, Skinner has the most wins (26), is second in save percentage and third in goals against. Only Logan Thompson’s (Vegas Golden Knights) and Pyotr Kochetkov’s (Carolina Hurricanes) numbers compare to the Oilers netminder this season.
A goaltender has not won the Calder Trophy since Steve Mason in 2009 when he had a 0.916 save percentage, 2.29 goals against average and 10 shutouts for the Columbus Blue Jackets. The most recent finalist was Alex Nedeljkovic in 2021 for the Carolina Hurricanes. He only played 23 games that season but had a 0.932 save percentage, goals against 1.90 and lost five games in regulation.
Year – Placement | Save Percentage | Goals Against Average | |
Steve Mason | 2008-09 – 1st | 0.916SV% | 2.29 GAA |
Jimmy Howard | 2009-10 – 2nd | 0.924SV% | 2.26 GAA |
Jordan Binnington | 2018-19 – 2nd | 0.927SV% | 1.89 GAA |
Alex Nedeljkovic | 2020-21 – 3rd | 0.932SV% | 1.90 GAA |
What do you think? Should Stuart Skinner be a Calder Trophy winner? If he was to win, he would become the first Oiler to win the award, which is amazing considering the talent that has played in this season.
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