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A clear winner has finally emerged in the Skinner-Jarry trade and it changed everything


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Daniel Lucente
January 22, 2026  (10:38)
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Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) during the second period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Kyle Dubas bet on Stuart Skinner, and Tristan Jarry being gone already feels like oxygen for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The trade looked spicy on day one, because moving a longtime starter always does.
Now the numbers since Christmas are doing the talking, and it's the kind of stretch that changes a season.
Skinner has gone 5-1 in his six starts since Dec. 25, sitting in the low 1.60s for goals-against and right around a .930 save percentage.
That's not a heater built on vibes, it's pucks getting swallowed and rebounds dying in the slot.
The Penguins are 9-2-2 since Dec. 25, and the goals against have been down around 2.1 per game with the Skinner Arturs Silovs tandem.
That's the real "Dubas won" argument, the whole team can play bolder when they trust what's behind them.
Jarry's peaks were real, but the floor swings were brutal, and the room felt it every time the first soft one went in.
With Skinner, the save is there more often, and the bench stays calm.

Stuart Skinner makes Kyle Dubas look right

The fanbase has been waiting for years to feel normal between the pipes, and this finally feels normal.
Skinner isn't just surviving, he's giving Pittsburgh a chance to win 3-2 instead of needing 5 goals.
He also fits the timeline better than another Jarry reset, and the cap math gets cleaner when the crease stops being a weekly fire drill.
If Dubas wanted a single move that resets the mood, this was it.
Keep an eye on the next tight stretch, back-to-backs and heavy nights are where this trade really gets judged.
But right now, the early return screams that Pittsburgh upgraded, and the standings are starting to follow.
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A clear winner has finally emerged in the Skinner-Jarry trade and it changed everything

Did Kyle Dubas clearly win the Stuart Skinner- Tristan Jarry trade?

Yes21989.8 %
No2510.2 %
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