Oilers not seeking trade for goaltender: ‘They’re going to sink or swim with Skinner right now’

The Edmonton Oilers haven’t had the start to the season that they hoped. The team has a 10-9-2 record at the one-quarter mark and they rank below league average in goals for, goals against, power play percentage, and penalty kill efficiency.

A handful of things have resulted in Edmonton’s slow start, including roster turnover, injuries, and burnout from the extended playoff run in the spring. Another major issue for the team has been poor goaltending, as the Oilers are tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second-lowest save percentage in the NHL at .875 this season.

Stuart Skinner has an .876 save percentage through his first 14 starts while Calvin Pickard owns an .893 save percentage across seven starts and one relief appearance. It’s been a mixed bag for Skinner, who has posted a save percentage under .900 in eight of his 14 starts. Pickard, meanwhile, has been above a .900 save percentage in seven of eight starts.

Though Skinner’s erratic play and Pickard’s lack of experience have many fans calling for the team to trade for a new goaltender, the Oilers don’t appear to be interested in such a move. Earlier this week, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun was asked on Oilers NOW with Bob Stauffer if Edmonton would make a move to address their struggling goaltending and he said it wasn’t a priority for the team.

“That’s just not a priority for Edmonton,” LeBrun said. “My understanding is the Oilers are not looking at [goaltending] at all right now.

“For cap reasons, for other reasons, they’re going to sink or swim with [Stuart] Skinner right now. That’s what I say today on November 20. Ask me again in a couple of months, who knows.”

Selected in the third round of the 2017 draft, Skinner is in his first full season as the starting goalie for the Oilers. The Edmonton native had his first run of games while Mike Smith was injured in 2021-22, he started 2022-23 as the newly-signed Jack Campbell’s backup, and then officially took the net in 2023-24 when the $25 million veteran was waived and Pickard was brought up from the American Hockey League.

During the 2022-23 season, Skinner inked a three-year contract extension worth $2.6 million annually. He’s in the second season of that deal and will be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 season.