Penguins and Panthers Could Team Up On UItimate Oilers Gut-Punch Skinner Trade

When asked if the Pittsburgh Penguins are treating the acquisition of goaltender Stuart Skinner as a rental or adding a potential piece via trade they can re-sign, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman responded, “I think, Kevin, we let that play out and see how it goes.” Speaking with the NHL Network about what the Penguins intend to do, Friedman noted, “Like, don’t forget they’ve got four goalies…”

He explained that Dubas added a player in Skinner, who is an interesting option in net for them, but is also a pending unrestricted free agent. Friedman noted that the Penguins have Arturs Silovs, Joel Blomqvist, and Sergei Murashov, and said, “I think they really like the two young guys.”

Skinner is likely going to be looking for some security in free agency, so a short-term extension seems unlikely. If the Penguins are married to their prospects, Skinner doesn’t exactly fit their rebuild/retool timeline.

What About the Florida Panthers?

In what would be seen as the biggest gut-punch to the Edmonton Oilers, what if the Penguins and the Florida Panthers got together on a trade that would bring Skinner to Florida? It sounds wild on the surface, but it’s not that far-fetched.

Related: Could Stuart Skinner Be Traded Again Before the Deadline?

The Panthers have Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov as their current tandem, but both are pending UFAs. Tarasov is potentially the future netminder for the Panthers, but he hasn’t got enough experience yet to know if he’s going to be able to handle the starting job on a contending team. Coming off a subpar season in Columbus, he’s playing well for Florida this season.

Meanwhile, Bobrovsky is 37 years old, and the Panthers might be ready to move on to their next chapter depending on how his season plays out. There have been questions about Bobrovsky and the Panthers for some time, mostly in respect to how they handle a possible extension for the veteran and what he might want.

Imagine How Much Skinner Would Love to Prove a Point

Skinner is a cost-effective goaltender at $2.6 million, and if the Penguins were open to retaining, he could be had for as low as $1.3 million per season. It’s the perfect price point for a Panthers team that might want a playoff-experienced goalie on the cheap. He’s also someone who has a point to prove. He’d be open to extending if things went well, and the Panthers have two possible goaltending slots available after this season.

Imagine Florida acquiring Skinner, only to see him win a Stanley Cup with the Panthers (their third consecutive) after failing twice in Edmonton? Skinner was moved because he couldn’t win against the Panthers when it mattered most. If he were to help backstop a Panthers’ team into a dynasty win, it would be the most incredible pivot. For Skinner, it would be poetic justice. It would be a total disaster for Edmonton.

That alone makes it a fascinating possibility and something GM Bill Zito would do to stick it to his playoff rival.

The Panthers might be active at the trade deadline. They aren’t the same contenders they were last season, but they’ve got some money to play with thanks to some injuries to key players. Is Skinner someone that would be on their radar if the Penguins were open to selling one of their goalies?

Next: “We Were Just Screwing Around…,” Admits Oilers’ Pickard After Losing Goalie Partner and Game