The noise all around Stuart Skinner has finally started to shift. After the huge headlines that followed his trade from the Edmonton Oilerssome fans wondered if the Oil Country hometown boy could actually hack it out of Alberta. At first, the move to Pittsburgh seemed like it would be a disaster; Skinner limped out of the gate, dropping his first few starts and leaving the Penguins faithful wondering if they had traded for a commitment.
But in the past week, the script has been flipped.
Something has clearly clicked for Skinner in the ‘Steel City. He’s currently on a three-game tear where he’s looked like a completely different goaltender, slamming the door and allowing just one goal in each outing while posting a save percentage hovering around .950. It’s still early, but if this version of Skinner is going to be here, that December trade will look like a huge win for Pittsburgh.
A balanced wrinkle in Pittsburgh’s current winning streak
It’s not just the “Skinner Show” in Pittsburgh, though. While Skinner finds his groove, goaltending partner Arthur Silov also played well and recorded four straight wins. This has resulted in a “win by committee” goaltending tandem lately, with both netminders giving the Penguins a chance to win.
In support of Skinner’s play, Pittsburgh writer Josh Yohe noticed this recently: “The Penguins were indescribably bad in the first period and led 1-0 thanks to Stu Skinner… Skinner was outstanding.”
The view from oil country
Back in Edmonton, the trade debate continues. While Tristan Jarry won his first three games for the Oilers, unfortunately he is unavailable due to injury; Therefore, Edmonton will rely on Calvin Pickard and Connor Ingram to give the Oilers a chance to win.
As the 2025-2026 season progresses, the “Skinner Watch” will continue as the trade debate keeps fans talking. In May, Skinner said, “…I’m proud of myself for going through everything I personally had to go through. It takes a lot of courage to keep standing.” He doesn’t get up alone; he’s starting to rewrite the narrative around his abilities as a goaltender, which can only be good news for him in a contract year.
Next: How important are the Canadiens goaltenders in the Playoffs?
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