Stuart Skinner's uneven 2025-26 season is getting a fresh chapter. The Winnipeg Jets have signed the goaltender to a two-year contract worth $3.75 million annually, the team announced Wednesday, giving the former Edmonton starter a new home and a new opportunity to reestablish himself.
It's been a whirlwind stretch for Skinner. After years as Edmonton's clear No. 1 — a run that included back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final — he was traded to Pittsburgh in December as part of a goalie swap that sent Tristan Jarry back to the Oilers. The change of scenery didn't fully settle things; Skinner spent the rest of the season working through a rotation with the Penguins before hitting unrestricted free agency this summer.
His regular-season numbers have rarely been a straight line up, and that inconsistency followed him through the trade rumors in Pittsburgh, but he's repeatedly shown he can shoulder a solid workload and rise to the moment in big games.
Now Winnipeg is betting there's another gear left.
Beyond the fresh start, the timing carries extra intrigue: this comes as the Jets are actively engaged in conversations about trading star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
TSN's Darren Dreger was quick to tamp down speculation that this signals an imminent Hellebuyck trade, calling it decent insurance or backup depth for the Jets rather than a direct precursor to a deal.
Still, the logic isn't hard to follow: adding a goaltender with legitimate starter's experience gives Winnipeg a safety net in net if trade talks around Hellebuyck do advance toward an actual blockbuster. Both the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes have been linked. Clearly, the Oilers would love to get into the mix, but it doesn't sound like there's anything happening on that front.
At just $3.75 million a season, Skinner is a low-risk, high-upside pickup either way — and one that quietly gives general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff a lot more flexibility as the Hellebuyck situation continues to play out.
Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news , game-day coverage, and more . Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.
