Analyzing the Oilers’ goalie trade and a scouting report on Spencer Stastney
Stuart Skinner spent eight seasons in the Edmonton Oilers organization.He was thrust into the starting role in the 2022-23 season after only playing 14 games as a backup in 2021 and 2022. Heck, he played six playoff games in 2022 with only 14 regular season games under his belt. He did it in hometown with constant scrutiny and helped the Oilers play in consecutive Stanley Cup Finals in 2024 and 2025.I’ve never agreed with the notion Skinner cost the Oilers a Cup. They might not have played in the Cup Final in 2024, if it wasn’t for his stellar performance against Dallas in the Western Conference Final.Skinner wasn’t an elite goalie for the Oilers. He could be great, he could struggle, and overall, I thought he performed quite well for someone who was rushed into the starter’s role. We will never know if he could have helped the Oilers win the Cup, because earlier this morning, he was traded to Pittsburgh, along with Brett Kulak and a second-round pick for Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin. It is rare to see two starting goalies traded for one another, but clearly the Oilers and Penguins felt a change was needed. Jarry has a $5.375-million cap hit until June 2028, while Skinner ($2.6-million) and Kulak ($2.75-million) are both pending unrestricted free agents. Kulak was included to make the trade work, and the Oilers made another trade acquiring left-shot defenceman Spencer Stastney from Nashville for a 2027 third-round pick. We’ll get more into that trade later.I think there were multiple layers to the Skinner/Kulak for Jarry trade. I think the organization has reservations about Skinner’s top-end game. They feel Jarry’s ceiling is higher, and every goalie analyst I’ve spoken to feels the same. However, they all added that Skinner has shown he can perform well when it matters. He was excellent in the Western Conference Final against Dallas the past two seasons. He was a major reason they advanced to the Cup Final. He could have a tough night, no question, but he also had many good games. I think Jarry’s mobility was a major factor in the trade. Jarry has only started........