EDMONTON, AB – Stuart Skinner has spent the last several years learning how to become a full-time NHL netminder — next season, he will be one.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day, it took a lot of time,” Skinner said. “When I was 18 and I got drafted, I was on top of the world. Then it kind of hits you that the real work begins.”
Since being selected in the third-round (78th Overall) by the Oilers in the 2017 NHL Draft, Skinner has plied his trade across all levels of professional hockey and has slowly developed himself into the goaltender he is today.
From a pair of stints in the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder, to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, and finally a 13-game spell with the big club last season – Skinner has used every experience as a chance to learn his craft and prepare him for the opportunity that currently presents itself. Edmonton will likely be without both of last year’s goaltending tandem with Mikko Koskinen signing with HC Lugano in Switzerland and Mike Smith not expected to play next season.
Skinner is now presented with a prime opportunity to grab a piece of the Oilers goaltending pie.
“Just growing and going through everything you go through in order to get to the NHL, you’re so grateful. You’re a little bit like a kid again,” Skinner said about playing for the team he grew up cheering for. “It’s like ‘wow this is actually happening’. It’s so cool and just being able to be on the Oilers, wearing that logo, being around the players in that locker room is incredible.”
Video: 1-ON-1 | Stuart Skinner 07.22.22
Although their absence breeds opportunity for Skinner, he credits the departing Koskinen and Smith for helping the young goaltender learn what it means to be a full-time pro.
“I was fortunate to work under those guys. I got a good 2-3 years where I got to pick their brains and ask them a ton of questions. I probably annoyed them with the amount of questions I asked them,” Skinner said. “I’m always trying to learn and just be a sponge and just try to take everything in that they’re doing and watching what they’re doing. I learned so much and I think that’s a big reason why my game kind of shifted from my first year pro to now. It’s a huge improvement just by watching those guys on a day-to-day basis — how they work, what they eat, all the little things.”
The goaltender says the biggest source of his improvements can be traced back to his time with Oilers goaltender coach Dustin Schwartz, whom he has known since before he was drafted. The duo have been putting in work several days a week, filming Skinner’s habits and mechanics and working on small adjustments to help elevate his game.
“There is so much that goes into the position technically, there is always something to tweak and work on here and there. Schwartzy has a fantastic plan with me and what we work on,” Skinner said. “We have a great relationship. He’s been my coach for my entire pro hockey career. It’s been amazing, he’s changed my game completely and he’s just a great human being in general. I don’t know where I’d be without him. “
The 23-year-old is beginning to see the fruits of his labor. In his last two seasons as the go-to netminder for the Condors, Skinner sported a .914 save percentage in ’20-21 and an even better .920 mark in ’21-22. Skinner’s enhanced execution has seen him finally get more than a cup of coffee at the NHL level. Filling in as an injury replacement last season, the Edmonton native played in 13 games with a 2.62 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.
Video: EDM@SJS: Skinner stops all 20 shots in 1st shutout
Skinner really found his form near the end of his stint, winning four of his last five games and wrapping up his NHL season with a 20-save shutout of the San Jose Sharks on Valentine’s Day. The Oilers netminder believes his improved off ice habits have influenced his on ice play.
“It definitely shows off the ice. I wasn’t the strongest or fittest guy in the world and then being able to get the work in with Chad (Drummond) and Schwartzy, they completely changed how I am as an athlete,” Skinner. said. “It takes a lot of work and you definitely battle. There’s a lot of perseverance that goes into it. I’m so grateful for every opportunity that I got and being able to embrace the process is such an important thing.”
Skinner is not expected to shoulder the goaltending load by himself next season. The Oilers made a big splash at the start of free agency, locking up the former Maple Leafs starter Jack Campbell to a five-year deal on July 13. According to General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Ken Holland, the duo is tentatively expected to split the crease roughly 50/30 next season. The addition of the veteran has all the makings of a very strong goaltending room next season.
“I’m stoked. I’m so excited to meet him and start playing with him. I’ve heard amazing things about him, that he’s a great human being and enjoyable to be around in the rink and off the ice, so I “I’m very excited,” Skinner said. “I sent him a text to tell him ‘congrats, welcome to the Oilers’. He responded and was great, he was very, very kind.”
The Oilers are hoping to get a hearty performance out of the “Soup and Stew” combo for the foreseeable future. Campbell’s ‘Soup’ nickname from Toronto has seemingly followed him to Edmonton, making him the perfect pairing with (Stu) Skinner. It’s a moniker both the goalie and the city already seem to be embracing.
“It’s unreal. I think that’s a great nickname,” Skinner said. “At this hockey school that we were doing, someone gave me a gift and it was a shirt that had a soup on it and said, ‘Soup and Stew’ and I thought that was hilarious.”