NHL general managers and scouts will often tell you that goaltending might be the hardest position in hockey to project -especially when it comes to drafting. At the beginning of the 2022-23 season, very few people could have predicted that Edmonton Oilers’ goaltender Stuart Skinner would supplant projected starter Jack Campbell as the number one goalie in Edmonton and go on to be a Calder Trophy finalist. But that’s exactly what happened. Skinner not only surpassed Campbell on the depth chart in 2022-23, but he also saved the Oilers’ season when the team was floundering before Christmas.
Originally drafted by the Oilers 78th overall in the third round in 2017, Skinner is one of their best draft picks over the past ten years, and he has a chance to become one of the best draft picks of all time for the Oilers. If you look at Skinner’s career trajectory, you can see that he showed improvement at every level – from winning a Western Hockey League (WHL) championship with the Swift Current Broncos in 2017-18 to successful stints in the ECHL with the Wichita Thunder starting in 2018 to his rise in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Bakersfield Condors from 2019 to 2022. Everywhere he has gone he has continued to get better and better including his first full season in the NHL in 2022-23. That’s why Oilers fans can expect him to be even better in the 2023-24 NHL season.
Oilers Committed to Team Defence in 2023-24
After the Oilers’ second-round loss in the 2023 Playoffs to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, players and management spent the offseason talking about improvement and a commitment to team defence. Skinner talked about lessons learned and improving his performance in the upcoming 2023-24 season. When you practice against some of the top players in the world every day, there’s no better place to improve your game than right in Edmonton, and Skinner along with Campbell have a chance to fine-tune their games on a daily basis. Based on his career development as well as his confidence and attitude, Skinner looks destined for bigger things ahead.
2023 Playoffs Were A Tough Lesson for Skinner and the Oilers
Looking back, the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs were a tough pill to swallow for Skinner and the Oilers. As many NHL greats can attest, it takes adversity to win. Billy Smith and the New York Islanders are a prime example of that in the late 70s and early 80s. Grant Fuhr overcame adversity to become a Stanley Cup champion in his time with the Oilers during their dynasty years. More recently Tampa Lightning great Andrei Vasilevskiy could more than likely tell you how losing motivated him and the Lightning to go on to win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. There’s nothing stopping Skinner from joining this group of great goaltenders.
Related: Oilers’ Skinner Having a Calder-Type Season
In his interview following the loss to the Golden Knights this past May, Skinner revealed how he has the right mindset to be a champion. He mentioned he doesn’t lack confidence, and that’s the secret ingredient that separates good NHL goaltenders from great ones. You have to believe there were lessons learned in Edmonton in the 2022-23 season for Skinner and the Oilers, that’s why many people are saying it’s Stanley Cup or bust in 2023-24.
An Improved Jack Campbell Will Help Skinner and the Oilers
Healthy competition among goalies is good for everyone. Smith had Glenn “Chico” Resch pushing him with the Islanders. Fuhr had Andy Moog and Bill Ranford competing against him for ice time, and Andrei Vasilevskiy had to compete with Ben Bishop. Skinner surpassed Campbell in 2022-23 after Campbell’s game completely fell apart early in the season. However, Campbell’s performance in relief in the playoffs showed that his game still had signs of life.
If Campbell can regain the form he showed earlier in his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, that’s nothing but good news for Skinner and the Oilers. It could mean Skinner could get some much-needed rest during stretches of the season, and it could also mean a more competitive situation with both Campbell and Skinner fighting for ice time. Campbell could come into the 2023-24 season hell-bent on supplanting Skinner as the Oilers’ number-one goaltender; you just never say never. But overall the job of being the Oilers’ number one goalie and taking the franchise back to the promised land is Skinner’s. It’s looking more and more like it’s his time to shine.
