Stuart Skinner is heading back to Canada, and the Winnipeg Jets are betting that a new setting can help him find his game again.
Skinner has agreed to a two-year, $7.5 million deal with Winnipeg after a season that left plenty to be desired on the stat sheet. In 2025-26, he finished with a combined 23-17-9 record, a 2.92 goals-against average and a .888 save percentage, numbers he never really managed to lift as the year went on.
The move gives Skinner another fresh start after serving as Edmonton’s No. 1 goalie during the Oilers’ trips to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and 2025. Now he lands in the Central Division with a Jets team that seems ready to take a harder look at its options in net.
For Winnipeg, the signing says something important: Connor Hellebuyck is still there, but the team is not treating the position as untouchable. Bringing in Skinner creates the kind of pressure that can push a starter, and it gives the Jets a real competition heading into the fall.
That kind of battle is familiar territory for Skinner. In Edmonton, he shared postseason starts with Jack Campbell in 2023 and with Calvin Pickard in both the 2024 and 2025 playoffs. Last season in Pittsburgh, he also split time with Artūrs Šilovs.
The big issue has always been the same one: can Skinner bring enough consistency? He has had stretches where he looked sharp in both Edmonton and Pittsburgh, but the dips have been hard to ignore. Winnipeg, with the Central Division always looming as a tough road, needs steadiness more than flashes.
Hellebuyck’s situation remains worth watching, too. Trade speculation has continued to follow him, with the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils both linked to the veteran goaltender, though nothing has come together. In 57 games last season, Hellebuyck went 23-23-11 with a 2.95 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage, marking the first time in his NHL career he finished a season below .900.
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Jets Prospect Alfons Freij Is Heading Over Sooner Than Expected
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Freij still has a chance to push for attention at Winnipegs training camp, which gives the organization an early look at where he stands against NHL competition. It is a notable shift for a player who was expected to spend more time in Sweden, and it adds another layer to a summer in which the Jets are clearly looking to accelerate the growth of their young talent. [Read more 🡒]