The Winnipeg Jets made one of the day’s most eye-catching moves in net on Wednesday, landing Stuart Skinner on a two-year contract when NHL free agency opened. The deal comes with an average annual value of $3.75 million and runs through the 2027-28 season.
For Winnipeg, the signing lands right in the middle of the noise surrounding Connor Hellebuyck. There has been plenty of speculation about the future of the three-time Vezina Trophy winner, whose name has surfaced in trade rumors in recent weeks after a disappointing 2025-26 season.
Hellebuyck has not formally announced a trade, but Skinner gives the Jets a clear option in goal if that situation changes. At the very least, Winnipeg now has a proven 1B presence, something Hellebuyck has never had with the club.
Skinner was coming off the end of the three-year extension he signed with the Edmonton Oilers in December 2022, a deal that carried an AAV of $2.6 million. Since then, the Edmonton native has been one of the NHL’s most closely watched and most heavily scrutinized goalies. His regular-season play drew criticism at times, but he found another gear when it mattered most in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
That postseason run included back-to-back trips to the Final for Edmonton, with Skinner in goal for Game 7 in 2024. The Oilers fell short both times, losing to the Florida Panthers.
This past season brought another change. After a slow start, Oilers general manager Stan Bowman decided to move on and traded Skinner to the Pittsburgh Penguins, with Tristan Jarry going back in the deal.
Skinner was solid in Pittsburgh, if not spectacular. He finished 12-9-5 with a 2.99 goals-against average and a .885 save percentage, helping the Penguins finish second in the Metropolitan Division.
But his playoff run ended badly, as he lost all three of his starts in the first round and Pittsburgh was eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers.
Overall last season, Skinner posted a 23-17-9 record with a 2.92 GAA, a .888 save percentage and two shutouts.
Across 224 NHL games over six seasons, Skinner owns a career mark of 121-71-23 with a 2.77 GAA, a .902 save percentage and nine shutouts. In the playoffs, he is 26-25 with a 2.89 GAA, a .892 save percentage and four shutouts.
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Jack St. Ivanys arrival from Pittsburgh gave the Jets a new defenseman to track, coming back in the exchange for David Gustafsson, while the front office also moved to keep some control over the next wave of young players. Winnipeg qualified two of its three restricted free agents before the NHL deadline, a routine but important step that helps shape what the roster can look like once the summer business settles down. [Read more 🡒]