When Stuart Skinner landed in Pittsburgh as part of the deal that sent Tristan Jarry to Edmonton, the general consensus around the league was that he might just be passing through. A stopgap.
A placeholder. A goalie likely to be flipped again before the March 6 trade deadline.
But hockey has a funny way of flipping the script.
After dropping his first three starts in a Penguins sweater, Skinner didn’t just steady the ship - he took the wheel. Since then, he’s gone 7-4-0 with a 2.31 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage, solidifying himself as Pittsburgh’s clear-cut No. 1 between the pipes. And just like that, the trade chatter has gone quiet.
It’s been a rapid turnaround, but not necessarily a surprising one to those who know Skinner’s game - or the environment he’s stepped into. Former NHL goalie and current TSN analyst Jamie McLennan recently pointed to the work of Penguins goaltending coach Andy Chiodo as a key factor. Chiodo, who previously helped Tristan Jarry rediscover his form, seems to be working similar magic with Skinner.
“I’m happy for Stu Skinner,” McLennan said. “He can get out of there, get out of Edmonton, and just go play hockey.”
Sometimes, that’s all a player needs - a fresh start, a new voice in his ear, and a little room to breathe. For Skinner, who’s now in the final year of a three-year, $7.8 million extension he signed with the Oilers back in 2022, the timing couldn’t be better. He’s playing some of his best hockey right as he heads toward unrestricted free agency.
And now, what once looked like a short-term arrangement in Pittsburgh might just turn into something more permanent.
According to team insider Josh Yohe, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas is open to the idea of keeping Skinner around beyond this season. That wasn’t even on the radar a few weeks ago, but Skinner’s performance has earned him more than just starts - he’s earned trust.
Sources inside the organization reportedly like what they’ve seen, not just in the numbers, but in the way Skinner carries himself. There’s a belief that this isn’t a fluke run. And while Pittsburgh has a highly touted young goalie in 21-year-old Sergei Murashov - who’s been stellar in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - there’s a growing sense that a tandem featuring Skinner and Murashov could be a smart, balanced approach moving forward.
The idea would be to let the veteran help shoulder the load while the rookie gets acclimated to the NHL grind. Not a bad setup, especially for a team that’s still trying to squeeze playoff runs out of its aging core.
Of course, there’s still a lot of hockey left to play. How Skinner performs down the stretch - and potentially into the postseason - will go a long way in shaping what comes next. But for now, what looked like a temporary fit is starting to feel like a long-term solution.
And for Skinner, who needed a reset, and the Penguins, who needed stability in net, this trade is looking more and more like a win on both sides.