Oilers Goalie Hug Sparks Wild Trade Rumors — Stuart Skinner Sets the Record Straight

Stuart Skinner wasn’t expecting to wake up in the middle of a trade storm, but that’s precisely what happened after a simple postgame hug with goaltending partner Calvin Pickard sent social media into meltdown.

Following the Edmonton Oilers’ win over the Seattle Kraken, Pickard allowed a goal with 4.5 seconds left but still secured the victory. Skinner skated over, grabbed him, and held on for a long six-second embrace — a gesture meant to comfort a teammate who was likely down or frustrated about the late goal where his save percentage for that game dropped below .900. Instead, the internet decided it must have been a goodbye.

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Within hours, speculation exploded. Was this Pickard’s last game as an Oiler? Were the Oilers preparing to bring in Tristan Jarry? Had Skinner known something the rest of the hockey world didn’t?

According to Skinner, that was not the case at all.

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Skinner Didn’t Even Know About the Trade Chatter

Speaking Tuesday morning ahead of his start against the Buffalo Sabres, Skinner admitted he had no idea any trade chatter was happening. “You’re right, I’m not on (social media) at all, so that’s why Cal had to bring it up to me last game, but no, we’re just having some fun.” When the two hugged again, it was purely to make a joke about the wild narrative fans had cooked up online.

Skinner said the first hug was nothing more than support for a teammate who deserved better. “Seeing the stat line… it was going really well until the last two seconds. I felt really bad for him,” he explained. But more than anything, he said, the two simply enjoy playing together. “We just love each other.”

Skinner acknowledged that big reactions come with playing in Edmonton. “It’s part of the business we’re all in,” he said. “Despite what anyone is saying, we just give each other hugs because we love each other, too.”

Trade rumors that involved Tristan Jarry have, in the meantime, cooled. A report that he was traded to the Oilers turned out to be inaccurate and the account that posted it has taken a leave from posting reports and doing their podcast amid the backlash the account received for prematurely saying the trade had been completed.

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