Stuart Skinner is settling into Winnipeg with the kind of calm that comes from knowing the job in front of him can change fast.
The new Jets goalie understands the situation around Connor Hellebuyck, and he knows there’s a real chance he could end up as Winnipeg’s starter this season. Hellebuyck, who has held the crease for the past 10 seasons, recently repeated his request to be traded, leaving the Jets’ goaltending picture very much unsettled.
Still, Skinner isn’t getting pulled into the noise.
“It’s funny, it might be me that gets impacted a little bit more,” Skinner said after an informal skate at the Hockey For All Centre on Wednesday. “But I haven’t thought much about it.
There’s so many distractions that can go around in this league, through trades, through anybody’s situation. So what I’ve learned in my four years is my job is my job.”
Skinner signed a two-year deal with Winnipeg last July and arrives with plenty of NHL mileage already on his résumé. The 27-year-old split last season between the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins, and he owns a 2.77 goals-against average across 224 career regular-season games.
He also comes to Winnipeg with big-game experience. The six-foot-four, 215-pound Edmonton native started for the Oilers in back-to-back Stanley Cup finals in 2024 and 2025, with Edmonton losing both. After struggling at times last season, he was traded to Pittsburgh in a midseason deal.
Even with the uncertainty around Hellebuyck, Skinner sounded energized by the move.
“It’s always a difficult game when you’re playing in the ‘Peg, so I’m happy to have home-ice advantage here now,” he said. “I’m excited for it. I can’t wait to get in the building.”
He also said the transition has been a smooth one off the ice, thanks in large part to the group already in Winnipeg.
Skinner called his new teammates a “really fun group to be around.”
“Honestly, it’s been awesome,” he said “They’ve made it really easy for me. I knew a few guys but that was about it. Coming in here, everybody has been so nice, so kind and extremely helpful.”
For now, the goaltending situation remains unresolved. Hellebuyck, 33, is still under contract for five more years at about $8.5 million annually. He is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and won the Hart Trophy in 2025 as the NHL’s most valuable player.
Jets captain Adam Lowry addressed the uncertainty Tuesday, making it clear the team can only deal with the situation as it stands.
“The situation is going to resolve itself one way or another,” Lowry told reporters on Tuesday. “As long as (Hellebuyck is) a member of the Jets, we’ll treat that situation as such.”
Winnipeg is coming off a disappointing spring, missing the playoffs after finishing 12th in the 16-team Western Conference standings. A year earlier, the Jets won the Presidents’ Trophy before being knocked out in the second round.
Skinner believes the roster has enough to get back on track.
“In my opinion, I think this team has what it takes to win,” Skinner said. “It’s just a matter of being able to go through (the challenges) for the whole year, playing at a consistent level and sticking together through everything.”
In Other News...
Connor Hellebuyck Trade Noise Is Suddenly Hanging Over Jets Camp
Stuart Skinners first appearance with the Jets during informal skates ahead of training camp was one of the more notable on-ice developments around the club, with Alex Iafallo, Gabriel Vilardi and Morgan Barron also taking part as Winnipeg begins to build toward another season. There was also a separate note on the prospect side, as 2026 third-round pick Samuel Hrenk opted to return to the Fargo Force of the USHL for the 2026-27 season after being selected by the Moose Jaw Warriors in the CHL Import Draft.
But even with the skates getting underway, the conversation around camp has been pulled toward Connor Hellebuyck and the trade noise surrounding the Jets goalie. Interest from other teams has been part of the backdrop, though captain Blake Lowry has tried to tamp down the chatter, leaving Winnipeg in the familiar spot of trying to keep the focus on hockey while one of its biggest names sits at the center of speculation. [Read more 🡒]
Connor Hellebuyck Trade Pressure Is Rising At The Worst Time
Connor Hellebuycks name is back in the middle of trade chatter, and it comes at a delicate moment for the Jets. The three-time Vezina Trophy winner has long been one of Winnipegs defining players, but the runway for any major move appears to be narrowing as the club weighs its options heading toward training camp.
The Buffalo Sabres and Jets had explored a framework earlier in the draft period before the talks broke down over the draft-pick component, and the landscape has only shifted since then with no-trade list changes affecting what each side can even put on the table. Winnipeg still has a path to work something out, but if a deal gets done, it may have to come with a lighter return than the Jets were hoping for. [Read more 🡒]
Jets New Goalie Could Bring Exactly What This Team Needs
Stuart Skinner is settling into a new chapter in Winnipeg after signing with the Jets and talking through the challenge of joining a fresh locker room. He has done this before, including a previous move to Pittsburgh after being traded from Edmonton, and he sounded comfortable with the transition this time around while also sharing his excitement about working with goalie coach Wade Flaherty.
What makes Skinner such an interesting addition is the track record he brings with him. His recent postseason resume gives Winnipeg a veteran presence in goal, the kind of experience that can matter when the schedule tightens and the games start to carry more weight, and he made it clear he believes the Jets have a chance to be a real factor. For a team looking to stabilize its crease, that mix of familiarity, confidence and playoff seasoning is exactly the sort of thing that can change the conversation. [Read more 🡒]