With Stuart Skinner switching agents, there’s natural curiosity about how this might influence contract extension discussions with the Edmonton Oilers.
Skinner’s agent change is noteworthy, especially considering he has just completed his first season of a three-year, $7.8 million contract with the Oilers. Ray Petkau of Alpha Hockey, who has taken over from J.P. Barry as Skinner’s representative, confirmed the move via social media.
Petkau also represents Connor Hellebuyck, the Winnipeg Jets’ goalie who recently won his second Vezina Trophy and his first William M. Jennings Trophy. Hellebuyck completed his first year of a seven-year, $59.5 million extension signed last October. Before this deal, Hellebuyck was heading toward unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2023-24 season.
The timing of Skinner’s agent change is intriguing and could impact negotiations for his next contract. Previously, Ken Holland was the Oilers’ general manager during Skinner’s last contract talks, but now Stan Bowman holds that position.
Ultimately, Skinner’s performance on the ice will be the key factor in any contract negotiations. This makes the situation both interesting and unpredictable.
The 25-year-old has shown inconsistency at times as the Oilers’ primary goalie. His performance fluctuated during the regular season and playoffs. Last season, Skinner started poorly with a 1-5-1 record in his first eight games, allowing 29 goals and posting one of the worst save percentages in the league.
However, his play improved significantly after Kris Knoblauch replaced Jay Woodcroft as head coach. By the season’s end, Skinner had achieved personal bests with 57 starts and 36 wins, matching his career-low 2.62 Goals Against Average (GAA). He also improved his save percentage from .881 in the early season to .905.
Despite this, inconsistency returned during the playoffs. Skinner struggled, particularly early in each round, and was temporarily replaced by Calvin Pickard against the Vancouver Canucks. Nevertheless, he showed resilience, although the Oilers fell just short of winning the Stanley Cup.
In the 2023 playoffs, Skinner had a 14-9-0 record in 23 starts, a marked improvement from his previous playoff performance where he went 5-6 with a 3.68 GAA and .883 save percentage. Despite his improved GAA of 2.45 in the latest playoffs, his .901 save percentage indicates room for growth.
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