Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
The Oilers have taken one step closer to finding stability in net.
The Edmonton Oilers kicked off their Monday morning by taking care of an important piece of business, agreeing to terms with goaltender Stuart Skinner on a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $2.6 million.
The deal, which ties Skinner to Edmonton through the 2025-26 season, sets the young netminder up nicely for his next contract at the age of 27 and also demonstrates the level of trust the Oilers have in him following his hot start to the year.
Skinner has indeed played quite well for the Oilers to begin the 2022-23 campaign, appearing in 19 games thus far while posting a 9-8-1 record and .915 save percentage. Considering that Skinner was not expected to carry the brunt of the Oilers’ goaltending responsibilities this season, with the club having given Jack Campbell a massive contract of his own over the summer, the 23-year-old’s early success has been one of the main bright spots in a troubling season for the organization overall.
In 13 appearances last season, Skinner showed glimpses of the potential that convinced the Oilers to lock him down so early with this deal, finishing his first extended taste of NHL action with a 6-6-0 record, a .913 save percentage, and one shutout, which he clearly carried over into 2022-23.
If Skinner continues to develop into the reliable starter he’s shown to be through parts of two seasons, the Oilers can sit back knowing they have a quality netminder under contract for the foreseeable future at an extremely cheap price tag.
As for the other guy? That’s another issue entirely.
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