When Stuart Skinner posted a .906 save% in Game 1 against the Panthers in the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals, to help his team secure a 4-3 OT victory, many thought redemption was en route for Edmonton. But alas. Over the next five games, Skinner not only didn’t come close to the .900 mark, but also got pulled twice from the ice thanks to his shambolic performance.

“Sometimes you feel like you are an individual in a team game,” the NHL goalie said after the Panthers ran away with the series following a 5-1 victory in Game 6. His brooding was justified: While he was receiving reserved congratulations from his teammates for a resilient show, his Florida counterpart was at the center of the celebrations on the other side of the rink. With that, he vowed to learn from the experience. Now, as he waits to lace up for another season with the Oilers, the 26-year-old is doing things a bit differently.

In an article by the official NHL.com website from August 17, Skinner was reported to be admitting what he did wrong last summer. This year, Skinner returned for his offseason skating on August 1, much later than when he did so before the last season. And that is exactly what he believes made all the difference. “I think I got back on the ice a little too quick last summer…Going into the season, I want to be as fresh as I can, as strong as I can,” Stuart said about how he’s looking forward to following a different path this time around.

“It was hard to stay off as long as I did, but that’s a really good sign. It means you really love the game, and I’m really excited to be back on the ice,” Skinner said further on how his time away from the rink has helped him feel the desire to get back to his natural habitat once again. However, many would continue to argue that after what Skinner faced in Games 3 and 4 in the Stanley Cup Finals this year, he needs to be extra cautious.

In Game 3, coach Kris Knoblauch decided to pull Skinner in the third period after the latter allowed five goals on 23 shots. In the next game, he gave away 3 goals in 17 shots before being replaced by Calvin Pickard in the second period. Benched for Game 5, Skinner returned for the netminding duties in Game 6, only to allow the Cats to score five times and lift their second straight Stanley Cup. While Skinner did make 23 saves in the match, the loss was too big a blow to make up for his performance in front of the Oilers’ net.

Skinner finished the postseason with a .889 save percentage. In the regular season, he posted a 26-18-4 record, a 2.81 goals against average (GAA), and a .896 save percentage. But he does seem to be confident in his heart that his trajectory will follow a higher standard in the future days, with a little backing from his peers.

The Oilers stand firm beside Stuart Skinner

Game 3’s 6-1 loss hit hard, and Stuart was visibly distraught. “As a goalie, you’ve got to come up with a save. It doesn’t matter. It’s a game of inches. I don’t like letting open shots in, so I take accountability on those,” he said after the defeat. But on the other hand, captain Connor McDavid wasn’t one to abandon his goalie when Skinner felt at rock bottom.

Despite Skinner’s poor performance in Games 3 and 4, Coach Knoblauch also justified the decision to call him back for Game 6, saying, “Stu has been in a lot of high-pressure games and has played really well. You look at the amount of elimination games he’s played, there was six last year, and every single (elimination) game he’s played in were really solid, if not spectacular performances. We’ve got a lot of confidence in him.”

Now, before heading to the 2025-26 season, Skinner believes he can take a lesson or two from Sergei Bobrovsky. As his reasoning? The Oilers’ star cites the fact that the Panthers’ netminder has an experience that isn’t easily rivaled in the NHL. “This is my third year in the League,” Skinner said. “He’s 36, he’s been playing for 14 years and you can tell because nothing changes for him. You can tell he is in the same spot whether he lets in six or gets a shutout. He didn’t change for one second. I’d love to get in touch with him and ask him how I could fill his shoes and do that,” Skinner said about his wish to reach out to his peer.

It does seem like, looking at how hard he’s taken the second straight Stanley Cup Finals loss, the top brass at the Edmonton camp feels like Skinner is the right person to carry the team into the next season. But will the goalie be able to justify the call with his actions? We’ll have to wait a few more months to see!