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Former NHL goalie praises Stuart Skinner.

After finally deciding that Stuart Skinner was unlikely to regain the level of consistency they needed, the Edmonton Oilers opted to move on, sending the netminder and defenseman Brett Kulak to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin.

In the end, the deal produced uneven results for both organizations. Jarry struggled to establish himself as a dependable option in Edmonton, mirroring many of the same issues that plagued his tenure in Pittsburgh. His role diminished during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, as Connor Ingram emerged as the preferred choice and Jarry spent much of the postseason watching from the sidelines.

Skinner, meanwhile, delivered several impressive performances after arriving in Pittsburgh and showed glimpses of the form that once made him a key piece of Edmonton’s roster. However, his inconsistency resurfaced during the playoffs, and after a series of difficult outings, he ultimately surrendered the starting job to Arturs Silovs.

While the Penguins are expected to move on from Skinner, a new possibility has emerged regarding his future that could potentially see him playing north of the Canadian border once again.

Is Former Edmonton Oilers Goaltender Stuart Skinner Heading Back To Canada?

On Tuesday, former NHL goaltender and current Insider Kevin Weekes reported on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the Ottawa Senators are showing interest in Skinner.

Right now, the Senators are set at the starting position with Linus Ullmark, whom they acquired from the Boston Bruins before the start of last season. However, their backup position has been a question mark in recent years.

They aren’t likely to retain aging veteran James Reimer, and Mads Sogaard is a pending unrestricted free agent.

Right now, Skinner would likely accept a short term contract to continue his NHL career at a reasonable cap hit, as it may be one of his only options.

Stuart Skinner Has Been Linked By More Than One Insider To The Senators

Just days ago, Ottawa Citizen writer Bruce Garrioch linked Skinner to the Senators.

He wrote:

“A name to keep an eye on is Pittsburgh Penguins unrestricted free agent Stuart Skinner. Staios was part of the Edmonton organization before he came to the Senators.

The expectation is he won’t be back with the Penguins next season and the belief is he will be among Ottawa’s top targets in free agency. Skinner made $2.6 million last season and the Senators could be a nice fit because he’d have a chance to help them win without the No. 1 pressure.”

“By all accounts, Skinner is a quality individual who would fit in well here. He finished with a 12-9-5 record in the regular season with the Penguins with a 2.99 goals-against average and a .885 save percentage.”

Skinner, who was selected by the Oilers with the 78th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, has posted a record of 121-71-23 along with a 2.77 goals-against average, a .902 save percentage, and nine shutouts. He also has a postseason record of 26-25 with a 2.89 goals-against average, a .892 save percentage, and four shutouts.