The Winnipeg Jets have opened the season with a new face carrying the crease, and Stuart Skinner has answered the bell so far.
With Connor Hellebuyck sidelined, plenty of questions hung over how Winnipeg would manage in goal. Through the first six games, though, the Jets have looked in good hands with Skinner taking on the starter’s workload. The veteran has made four starts and put together a 3-0-1 record, along with a 2.47 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage.
The deeper numbers are even more encouraging. Skinner has posted a .939 save percentage in mid-danger situations, and seven of the 10 goals he has allowed this season have come from high-danger chances, the kind of looks that leave a goalie with limited options. He is also just outside the NHL’s top 10 in goals saved above expected at 3.3, tied with New York Rangers breakout goaltender Dylan Garand.
That level of play is notable for a goaltender with plenty of experience already under his belt. Skinner spent six full seasons with the Edmonton Oilers and another half season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, so the pressure of a starting job is nothing new. In Winnipeg, he has settled in quickly.
Clay Stevenson’s role has been more uneven behind him. He impressed in his season debut, but his second start went the other way, as he stopped only 12 shots and gave up four goals against the Anaheim Ducks. That leaves even more weight on Skinner’s shoulders moving forward.
For now, though, the Jets have reason to feel good about where things stand. Their defense has long been one of the team’s strengths, and with that support in front of him, Skinner looks capable of turning this stretch into something even bigger.
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Kings Slow Start Could Force Ken Holland Into A Huge Goalie Swing
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Winnipegs Connor Hellebuyck has emerged as a name worth watching in that conversation, even if the situation is still very much in the exploratory stage. Hellebuyck is suspended and holding out of training camp, and any serious swing from the Kings would almost certainly have to be built around major assets, the kind of price that makes a trade talk feel less like a quick patch and more like a franchise-level decision. [Read more 🡒]