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Can Stuart Skinner bounce back for the Oilers again?
Edmonton Oilers Stuart Skinner
Photo credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Golden Hockey
Dec 1, 2025, 13:00 ESTUpdated: Dec 1, 2025, 14:05 EST
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Stuart Skinner’s career with the Edmonton Oilers has been a roller coaster, from the soaring highs of a 16-game winning streak to the crushing lows of losing the net in the postseason. The Edmonton native has been through it all.
On Tuesday night, Skinner was yanked after an ugly first period against the Dallas Stars, allowing four goals on eight shots and dropping his save percentage to .878. It was already his second blowout loss of the month; Kris Knoblauch also pulled him after giving up four goals on 13 shots in their 9–1 loss to Colorado on Nov. 8.
If there’s one thing we know about the Oilers’ fanbase, it’s that blowouts bring out the pitchforks, and this time was no different. Rumours circulated all week about potential goalie replacements, with names like Jordan Binnington and Tristan Jarry tossed around, but nothing materialized. Instead, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday night that the Oilers have no interest in making what they view as a lateral or panic move.
“The Oilers have made enough calls, and teams call you when you’re going through a bad week,” he said. “You know the teams out there that kind of have extra goalies or goalies that are willing to move, like Columbus, Buffalo, Pittsburgh.
“And what I can tell is that Edmonton’s position has not changed at all. They are not going to do it just to do it. They are not going to do what they believe is a lateral move. They would rather make no move than what they think would be a bad move or a panic move or a move just to do it.”
Hearing the reports from Friedman, I can’t help but feel déjà vu. For all the calls to move on from him, this isn’t the first time Skinner has looked finished in Edmonton and clawed his way back.

We’ve been here before with Stuart Skinner

In 2023-24, Edmonton sent Jack Campbell to the AHL after a terrible start, leaving Skinner with a heavy responsibility to help get the season back on track. On Nov. 22, his .865 save percentage and -8 goals saved above expected weren’t cutting it, and the team still struggled to win. That was rock bottom, but the Oilers didn’t make a trade to upgrade their goalies, and he rebounded.
They rattled off eight straight wins, kickstarting a dominant run, and Skinner finished the season with a .905 save percentage. He backstopped the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final, earning the starting role for another season.
Unfortunately, 2024-25 didn’t go as smoothly as he had hoped. After an underwhelming regular season, Skinner imploded in the first round of the playoffs, surrendering 11 goals to the LA Kings in the first two games and losing the net to Calvin Pickard.
It felt possible that Skinner had played his last game in an Oiler uniform, but once again, his fate reversed quickly. Pickard was injured in the second round, and Skinner returned with three shutouts in his next five starts, winning back the crease and helping the Oilers get to the Final once again. 
Skinner is no stranger to bouncing back from his lowest moments. However, the lows continue to return at one point or another, year after year. He’s had an inconsistent 2025-26 season, and the pressure is on once again.

The Oilers aren’t eager to move on

The Oilers have the luxury of only paying Skinner $2.6-million. He’s shown for stretches that he’s capable of playing well above his pay grade. Stan Bowman would rather make things work with Skinner than spend assets on a more expensive goalie, especially when the available replacements come with their own set of problems.
But is a lateral move worthwhile if it gives the team a reset? The Oilers have played poorly in front of their goalies all season, and it’s worth wondering if the shaky goaltending is a symptom of the team’s problems or one of its primary causes. Whether conscious or not, it’s possible that a lack of faith in the goaltending has sucked some of the life out of this team. These are questions that Bowman will need to consider. 
With that said, on Saturday in Seattle, amidst all of the trade rumours and media noise, Skinner posted an impressive 26-save shutout. Could this be the start of another hot run that extends his days in Edmonton? The Oilers seem perfectly fine sticking with the goalies they have for the rest of the season if performance dictates it. How Skinner responds in the coming days and weeks will be another defining moment in his career. 

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