The Winnipeg Jets made one of the day’s most interesting goalie moves on Wednesday, landing Stuart Skinner on a two-year contract as free agency opened. The deal carries an AAV of $3.75 million and runs through the 2027-28 season.
The move comes at a time when Winnipeg’s situation in net has been drawing plenty of attention. Connor Hellebuyck’s future has been the subject of recent trade speculation after a disappointing 2025-26 season, even though the three-time Vezina Trophy winner has not formally announced a trade. Skinner gives the Jets another proven option, whether that means stability behind Hellebuyck or insurance if Winnipeg decides to move on.
Skinner arrives in Manitoba after completing the three-year extension he signed with the Edmonton Oilers in December 2022. That contract carried an AAV of $2.6 million.
His time in Edmonton made him one of the league’s most closely watched goalies. Critics came after him during the regular season, but Skinner repeatedly found another gear when the playoffs started. He helped the Oilers reach back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, including Game 7 in 2024, though Edmonton fell short both times against the Florida Panthers.
This past season started slowly enough that Oilers general manager Stan Bowman decided to make a change, trading Skinner to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Tristan Jarry. Skinner was solid in Pittsburgh, finishing 12-9-5 with a 2.99 goals-against average and a .885 save percentage. He helped the Penguins place second in the Metropolitan Division, but his postseason went sideways, with three losses in three first-round starts as Pittsburgh was bounced by the Philadelphia Flyers.
For the season overall, Skinner went 23-17-9 with a 2.92 GAA, a .888 save percentage and two shutouts.
Across six NHL seasons and 224 games, Skinner has a career mark of 121-71-23 with a 2.77 GAA, a .902 save percentage and nine shutouts. In the postseason, he is 26-25 with a 2.89 GAA, a .892 save percentage and four shutouts.
In Other News...
Oilers Fans Should Watch This Hellebuyck Twist Very Closely
Connor Hellebuycks name is once again floating through the rumor mill, and the latest chatter gives the Winnipeg Jets plenty to weigh even if nothing is close yet. Trade discussion around the star goalie is ongoing, with Carolina and Buffalo both drawing attention, while New Jersey is not currently in the picture despite the online buzz. For Winnipeg, the key point right now is simple: the club is still operating with free agency in front of it, but it is at least open to keeping the conversation going if the market sharpens.
The hold-up is what makes this worth watching. Sources continue to stress that no deal is imminent, and there is still real uncertainty about whether one ever comes together at all. If the talks intensify, the Jets path could depend heavily on which suitors stay in, which ones circle back, and whether Winnipeg decides the right return is finally there to push this beyond speculation. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Offseason Hinges On One Decision They Cannot Get Wrong
The Jets are heading into a pivotal stretch with plenty of cap room and just as much uncertainty, starting with Cole Perfetti. Winnipeg has to sort out the future of its young restricted free agent while also weighing what to do with a handful of veterans and depth pieces who could be on the move once the market opens. Eric Comrie, Ville Heinola and Gustav Nyquist each bring a different kind of decision, which makes this less about one splashy signing and more about how carefully the front office wants to allocate its money.
With a little more than $19 million to work with, Winnipeg has some flexibility, but not enough to waste on the wrong fit. The Jets still need to protect their own core while leaving room to patch other holes, and that balancing act is what makes this offseason tricky. If Perfettis camp pushes the conversation in one direction, the rest of the market could shape the Jets next moves in ways that are harder to predict. [Read more 🡒]
Former Jets Defenseman Jacob Trouba Just Landed A Stunning New Deal
Jacob Troubas latest move is the kind that still resonates in Winnipeg, where the defenseman was once a top draft pick and spent six seasons carving out his identity as a hard-to-play-against blue liner. He has since logged 14 NHL seasons with the Jets, Rangers and Ducks, and his career has long been built around the sort of reliability and edge teams like to lean on when the games get tighter.
Now the veteran is headed into a new situation with San Jose, which is clearly trying to add some backbone to its defense as it pushes toward the postseason picture. For Jets fans, it is another reminder of how far Trouba has traveled since leaving Manitoba, and why his name still carries weight whenever his next stop becomes part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]