Oilers Have Their Starting Goalie

The Edmonton Oilers are committing to Stuart Skinner as their starting goalie.

Jun 21, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) guards his net during the warmup period against the Florida Panthers in game six of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports / Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

The Edmonton Oilers came just one game shy of winning their sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history and ending a 30-year drought of championships from a Canadian team. With that in mind, the Oilers bolstered their roster this offseason, making themselves a fiercer team.

While different areas of the Oilers lineup saw changes, there was one area that went untouched. The Oilers are going to continue to roll with Stuart Skinner as their starting goalie.

After a successful regular season, putting up a 36-16-5 record, Skinner was shaky in the playoffs. While Skinner appeared in 23 of the 25 games, there was a brief moment when it looked like he lost his starting role to Calvin Pickard.

Skinner lost and regained his starting role in the second round against the Vancouver Canucks. Following his return, he backstopped the Oilers all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

TSN’s Bryan Hayes has seen enough and believes Skinner is the right goalie for the Oilers.

“I think Stuart Skinner, obviously, got a ton of experience,” Hayes said. “Proved he can be a No. 1 in this league.”

Despite being an All-Star selection during the 2022-23 season, Skinner was never solidified as the Oilers’ go-to netminder. Heading into the 2023-24 season, Jack Campbell was the Oilers’ starter. After a 1-4 start, Campbell finished the season with the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League.

Skinner took over as the starting goalie at an early stage of the season and led the Oilers as far as he could. In 59 appearances, he put up a .905 save percentage and 2.62 goals against average.

The Oilers thought they had something with Campbell, but it’ll be Skinner’s net until further notice.

In 123 career games, Skinner holds a 72-36-10 record with four career shutouts and was selected to the NHL’s All-Rookie team in 2022-23. The Oilers didn’t make a move between the pipes because they know they have a solid No. 1 goalie.

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