Stuart Skinner’s first preseason looks in Winnipeg haven’t been spotless, but the bigger picture still points to a goalie with plenty left to show.
Against Colorado on Friday, Skinner allowed five goals on 32 shots, though one came into an empty net. Through two preseason starts, both against the Avalanche, he has given up five goals on 64 shots, which leaves him with a .922 save percentage. That’s not the kind of line that jumps off the page for the right reasons, but it also isn’t a collapse.
And really, two exhibition games should not be treated like the whole story.
Skinner has already proven he can handle far bigger moments than this. He was the starting goalie during two long Oilers playoff runs, including the 2024 march to the Stanley Cup Final.
That kind of workload comes with real pressure, the sort where every night feels like it matters twice as much. He’s been through that before, and that matters.
There were highs and lows in Edmonton, and the team in front of him did not always make life easy. Still, the track record is there. A pair of uneven preseason outings against Colorado does not erase what he has already done when the games counted most.
What makes this move more interesting is the situation waiting for him in Winnipeg. The Jets appear ready to give Skinner the heavy early-season workload while bringing Domenic DiVincentiis along behind him. In other words, the job looks like his to start.
That kind of setup can help a goalie settle quickly. No messy split, no uncertainty, just a chance to play regularly and find a rhythm. A fresh start, a clear role, and some confidence can go a long way.
Winnipeg’s defense should also offer a different backdrop than Skinner sometimes had in Edmonton. It won’t be easy every night - nothing is in the NHL - but the environment looks favorable.
So Friday’s rougher result is part of the picture, just not the part that should define it. The real test is whether Skinner can turn this reset into the kind of season that brings back the version of him that carried playoff teams before. If that happens, the rest of the league will have to deal with it the hard way.
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For the Sharks, the appeal is obvious: a franchise looking to stabilize its crease would be staring at one of the best goaltenders of this era, plus a contract and cap hit that would demand real planning. The fit would also have to make sense against San Joses roster and salary structure, which is where the gamble gets complicated. Hellebuyck can change the outlook of a team in a hurry, but getting from interest to actual agreement is where this situation starts to get tricky. [Read more 🡒]