The Edmonton Oilers’ 4–0 shutout in Seattle last weekend felt, on the surface, like a moment of relief for both the team and Stuart Skinner.
He has been at the centre of some of the most publicly debated goaltending weeks the franchise has had in years, and it was the same conversation discussed on the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, where Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas revisited the tension around Edmonton’s crease and the team’s apparent reluctance to make a move.
Edmonton will NOT be trading Stuart Skinner this season
When Bukauskas asked directly whether Edmonton’s shutout in Seattle changed anything in the organization’s thinking, Friedman opined that the Oilers disagree with the outside hypothesis that the solution is to move on from Skinner.
“Their actions indicate that,” Friedman said. “Like we said… maybe it’s time for Skinner, time for everyone just to move on. I just think they disagree with that.”
According to Friedman, league executives he spoke with believe there is a real possibility Edmonton chooses not to make any major goalie decisions until after the season is over. Because they refuse to make what they consider a lateral move.
“Like I just think and and we kind of talked about this. They are not even with everything that happened last week, they are not going to trade Skinner for a guy who they feel has the same questions as Skinner,” he added.
“And I’ll tell you this, I had some teams that said to me, they think that Edmonton will continue to look, and if something they like comes, they will do it. They won’t just punt on the season or say we can’t do this now,” he added.
Friedman emphasized that Edmonton has been consistent internally. They will consider upgrades, but they won’t burn limited assets to simply reshuffle the deck, and they will not acquire a goalie whose issues mirror Skinner’s.
Skinner’s cap numbers matter
The numbers make that clear. Skinner’s cap hit sits well below many goaltenders who would be available. As Friedman said:
“Skinner’s cap number is smaller than a lot of goalies. With Edmonton’s situation, you’d probably have to take on money… and that forces other difficult decisions.”
This frames the conversation less around performance and more around structural constraints. For months, Edmonton has operated with thin asset capital and minimal flexibility. Trading Skinner for a comparable contract or a more expensive one risks creating an even larger hole elsewhere.
The debate surrounding Stuart Skinner is heavily tied to his early-season numbers. Without the shutout in Seattle, his overall statistical picture remains middle-to-low tier.
So far this season, he’s 8–7–3 with a 3.18 GAA, an .878 save percentage and one shutout.
These numbers show a goaltender who hasn’t matched his 2023–24 breakthrough but hasn’t cratered either. His save percentage hovers below league average, but the team in front of him has been porous defensively and inconsistent in controlling chances.
Friedman heaps praise on Stuart Skinner’s professionalism
What matters more internally, as noted in conversations around the league, is that Skinner has not asked out, nor has he shown frustration publicly.
Friedman also pointed out that Skinner attended a public autograph event during the height of the storm, which earned him significant respect within the organization:
“If I was going through what he was going through, I’d be in witness protection. I have so much respect that he went out and did that.”
For an organization hyper-sensitive to locker-room stability, that matters.
Laurent Brossoit report addressed
Earlier-season talk around potential targets from veteran placeholders to fringe starters has cooled as teams pull back or ask for high returns. The Oilers have neither the cap space nor the draft capital to overpay.
Even the situation involving Laurent Brossoit, who has begun a conditioning stint and received permission to speak with teams, appears unlikely for Edmonton.
“We’ll see how the day develops and how we now know the teams have permission to talk to him,” he said.
Friedman noted someone told him they’d be “surprised” if the Oilers pursue him, referencing past risk with rehabbing players.
“Last year, they had Klingberg, who went through like a long-term injury, hadn’t played in a while, and it took him a while to get going.”
Edmonton is not interested in another uncertainty. So, Skinner stays.
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