The Edmonton Oilers lost goaltender Stuart Skinner during Tuesday night’s game against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden after being run into by defenseman Nikita Zadorov.
The injury took place in the course of the first period when Zadorov cut hard to the web, but immediately bumped into Skinner. After falling to the ice, Zadorov immediately gestured toward the injured goaltender as if to plead his case that the collision wasn’t intentional.
Meanwhile, Skinner’s mask was knocked off by the force of the impact and he remained down on the ice for several moments before being attended to by team medical staff; he was replaced between the pipes by backup Calvin Pickard.
To this point, there was no update given on Skinner’s condition from the Oilers, nor have they indicated whether or not he’ll have the opportunity to return to the sport.
UPDATE: The excellent news for the Oilers is that Skinner has in reality returned.
To this point this season, Skinner has amassed a record of 15-8-3 with a 2.78 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage with one lone shutout. He helped backstop the Oilers to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, a series they lost in seven games.
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Oilers goaltender is within the midst of a three-year contract
Former Oilers general manager Ken Holland prolonged goaltender Stuart Skinner to a three-year contract that began last season, with a mean annual value (AAV) of $2.6 million.
Nevertheless, goaltending stays the Oilers’ Achilles heel, and plenty of imagine they need to upgrade the position immediately in the event that they hope to have one other realistic shot at returning to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Oilers have been linked to quite a few goaltenders in recent memory, including MacKenzie Blackwood (formerly of the San Jose Sharks and now with the Colorado Avalanche) and John Gibson of the Anaheim Geese. But for now, Oilers management has seen fit to maneuver forward with the tandem of SKinner and Pickard.
