Stuart Skinner’s record might not jump off the page, but Winnipeg has reason to feel good about what it’s getting in net.
The 27-year-old Edmonton native dropped his fifth game of the season in Sunday’s Heritage Classic, yet the bigger picture says he has settled in nicely as Connor Hellebuyck’s replacement. Skinner arrived in Winnipeg with a massive standard to meet, and so far he has handled the job better than the surface numbers suggest.
His 3-2-3 mark looks ordinary, but the underlying production tells a different story. Skinner’s 2.60 goals-against average and .911 save percentage both sit inside the NHL’s top 13. He’s also delivered a few statement outings along the way, including wins over the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche earlier in the year when he allowed just two goals in each start.
Lately, he has steadied again. Over his last three starts, Skinner gave up only seven goals total against the St.
Louis Blues, the Habs and the Stars. The advanced numbers back up the run: he owns a .845 save percentage on high-danger chances, which places him in the 70th percentile, and a .934 save percentage at even strength, good for the 88th percentile.
The analytics layer on even more credit. Skinner is also near the top of the league in goals saved above expected, one of the best gauges of how a goalie is actually performing. His 5.9 mark ranks sixth in the NHL, ahead of Ilya Sorokin and Logan Thompson.
That matters in a big way for Winnipeg, because Skinner has done more than just survive the transition. He has given the Jets a starting goalie who can keep them in games night after night, while filling the shoes of a three-time Vezina Trophy winner with confidence.
The Jets even made sure to amplify the moment after one of his highlights, posting: "WHAT A DANDY BY STUART SKINNER!" Completely agree @JohnForslund 🙂↕️
For Winnipeg, the record may be the first thing people notice. But Skinner’s start suggests the real story is that he’s giving the Jets exactly what they needed.
In Other News...
Oilers Hot Start Is Hiding A Lineup Concern Fans Know Too Well
The early-season glow around the Oilers has brought the usual debate about how they should best use their top talent, but it also has a familiar undercurrent for fans who have watched contenders get stretched thin when their structure gets tested. One school of thought says Edmonton could create more depth by separating Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, even if the results to this point have been strong enough to keep those conversations from feeling urgent.
Around the league, the latest reminder of how quickly things can get complicated came from Winnipegs handling of Connor Hellebuyck after his suspension. Elliotte Friedman reported that the Jets moved the goalie before he had a chance to speak to the media, and Hellebuyck has not publicly commented since arriving with the New Jersey Devils. For a Winnipeg audience, it is another instance where a team decision and a players voice were kept on separate tracks, leaving the broader picture still a little unfinished. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Came Closer Than Fans Realized On Connor Hellebuyck
Connor Hellebuyck was never just a background name in the rumor mill, at least not according to Elliotte Friedman. The NHL insider said multiple teams kicked around the idea of dealing for the Jets goalie, with Florida, Buffalo, Utah and Carolina all showing real interest at various points as Winnipeg's name surfaced in trade conversations.
The talks apparently ran into all the usual roadblocks that can sink a major deal: package disagreements, pick swaps, timing and players who were simply not available. Friedman said he does not have the full picture on every part of the negotiations, which leaves plenty still behind the curtain on how close any one team actually got. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Fans Finally Got Their First Look At A Stunning New Era
Connor Hellebuyck was on the ice for his first practice with the New Jersey Devils after arriving in a trade from the Winnipeg Jets, giving fans an early look at what could be a major shift in the teams goaltending picture. It was the kind of arrival that instantly changes the temperature around a locker room, especially when a proven starter walks into a new setting and starts working through the first details of how he fits.
The move came as part of a larger deal that sent multiple players and draft picks the other way, underscoring just how much the Devils were willing to give up to reshape the position. For Winnipeg, it marked the end of a familiar era in net, and for New Jersey, it opened the door to plenty of anticipation before anyone has seen how the new group will look once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]