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Stuart Skinner speaks publicly for the first time since being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins
Photo credit: The Edmonton Journal
Traded by the Edmonton Oilers to the Pittsburgh Penguins, goaltender Stuart Skinner is speaking out for the first time since the blockbuster goalie for goalie trade that took place yesterday.
Even though it got overshadowed by the massive trade of Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks to the Minnesota Wild yesterday, there was another blockbuster move involving a pair of goaltenders who now play in new cities.
The Edmonton Oilers traded Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak and a second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Entry Draft to the Pittsburgh Penguins for fellow goalie Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin.
Jarry is already right at home with the Oilers, having already played professionally in Edmonton with the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings. He also must have anticipated the trade, considering he was in brand new Edmonton-coloured gear literally the next day.
Skinner, who hasn't yet been able to join his new teammates, reportedly was looking for a move per analyst Tom Gazzloa.
I've had people close to Jarry tell me that he wanted out of Pittsburgh, and Stu wanted out of Edmonton. Both guys wouldn't have minded a change of scenery.
- Tom Gazzola
- Tom Gazzola
Speculation That Stuart Skinner Could Be Traded Had Been Building
The speculation that Skinner could soon be on the move was widely speculated in the weeks leading up to the move.
NHL analyst Elliotte Friedman recently opined on a '32 Thoughts'podcast that a change of scenery would be beneficial for both Skinner and the Oilers:
I don't like to overreact to one game. For Edmonton, this is more than one game. After Tuesday's 8-3 Dallas destruction, the Oilers have no choice but to ask themselves if it's time to trade Stuart Skinner - for their benefit and his.
It's 100 per cent true the Oilers are sieve-like defensively: at even-strength, they are 25th in shots against from the slot on the cycle, 29th from the slot overall and 30th from the slot against the rush (Sportlogiq). You need prime Dominik Hasek against those numbers, and captain Connor McDavid did the right thing by saying how bad they were in front of Skinner.
It's 100 per cent true the Oilers are sieve-like defensively: at even-strength, they are 25th in shots against from the slot on the cycle, 29th from the slot overall and 30th from the slot against the rush (Sportlogiq). You need prime Dominik Hasek against those numbers, and captain Connor McDavid did the right thing by saying how bad they were in front of Skinner.
So far this year, Skinner is 11-8-4 with a .891 SV%.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 13 | 366 ANSWERS Stuart Skinner speaks publicly for the first time since being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins Did the Penguins make the right choice by trading Tristan Jarry for Stuart Skinner? | ||
| Yes | 259 | 70.8 % |
| No | 107 | 29.2 % |
| List of polls | ||