Edmonton Oilers
Stuart Skinner Signs with Jets, Does This Impact a Connor Hellebuyck Trade?
The Winnipeg Jets have signed UFA goalie Stuart Skinner, which might impact the staus of a Connor Hellebuyck trade.
The Winnipeg Jets have signed goaltender Stuart Skinner to a new two-year deal in free agency. The former Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins netminder goes to the Jets, where the team is actively engaged in conversations to trade Connor Hellebuyck.
It’s a two-year contract with a $3.75M AAV. A solid deal for a goalie who hasn’t always been consistent, but can be a starter and helped take the Edmonton Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals appearances.
Darren Dreger reports, “This does not mean a trade involving Hellebuyck is imminent. Decent insurance or backup for the Jets.” Still, it gives the Jets some flexibility to move Hellebuyck, as the team now has an option in goal if they’re able to make the block buster trade.
Skinner is a 27-year-old goaltender who’s spent most of his career with the Oilers, the team that drafted him 78th overall in 2017 out of the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes and Swift Current Broncos. He broke into the league full-time in 2022-23 and quickly became Edmonton’s starter.
Skinner’s regular-season numbers have fluctuated year to year, with stretches of inconsistency drawing criticism from fans and media, but he’s remained a mainstay in Edmonton’s crease through the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl era. He was one of the less talked about names, but one of the more solid goaltending options available in free agency.
Next: Red Wings Sign Viktor Arvidsson as a Middle-Six Offence Boost
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