What to expect from Stuart Skinner this summer

This is probably going to be one of the shorter What To Expects that we’ve done this year.

And it’s not a knock against Skinner, it’s just the fact he’s in Edmonton as the teams third goaltender and unlikely to see much, if any, ice time in games.

With that being said, however, there’s something to be said about the work he is going to be able to put in outside of game action that could give him a boost in his young career.

At 21 years old, the Edmonton-native just wrapped up his second pro season and first at the AHL level. there, playing for the Bakersfield Condors, he posted a 16-17-6 record with a .892 save percentage.

He has the size at 6’4 and the physical tools you want to see in a big young goalie and that’s important to note. On top of that we all know how goaltenders are typically players who are late to develop. The experience he gathered starting lots of games for a poor Bakersfield club and his head coach Jay Woodcroft agrees.

“I go back to the 40-odd games he played in the American League this year and the 40 the year before when you figure the East Coast and the American League. He also had to experience three games in a round two playoff series last season (San Diego). That’s a good experience level for such a young guy,” Woodcroft told the Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson. “Now, it comes down to finding a way to become an elite goaltender at the American League level. When he can do that and put it all together it’ll be a big step in his development.”

Nonetheless, the 2017 3rd round pick is one of the few goaltending prospects the Oilers have in their system. He’s still a guy I could see in Edmonton in a few years, and I hope that his experience hanging around the Oilers gives him some help in his progression.

On Twitter: @zjlaing