Penguins’ Stuart Skinner Out With Upper-Body Injury
The Penguins announced this afternoon that they’ve recalled winger Avery Hayes from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and goaltender Taylor Gauthier from ECHL Wheeling. Gauthier is dressing as Arturs Silovs‘ backup this afternoon against the Panthers, as Stuart Skinner is unable to dress because of an upper-body injury.
Skinner was healthy enough to dress as Silovs’ backup in a scheduled start for the latter yesterday, so it’s unclear what’s causing him to have to stay off the ice today. That’ll also mean back-to-back starts for Silovs in under 24 hours against Florida after he allowed four goals on 23 shots yesterday. Luckily, he got nine goals’ worth of support from Pittsburgh’s offense to record his 18th win of the season.
For whatever reason, the Penguins weren’t going to be able to get either of their highly-touted AHL netminders, Sergey Murashov or Joel Blomqvist, to Pittsburgh in time for today’s 2:00 p.m. Central puck drop. It’ll be Gauthier, the #5 on Pittsburgh’s goaltending depth chart, getting the bump for now as a result. Josh Yohe of The Athletic reports that the Pens will recall Murashov later in the week if Skinner needs to miss multiple games, though.
Gauthier, 25, initially signed with the Pens as an undrafted free agent out of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks back in 2022. They opted not to issue him a qualifying offer when his entry-level contract expired last summer, but he returned to the organization on a one-year minor-league contract anyway. The ECHL’s Goalie of the Year back in 2023-24, he’s had another spectacular season in Wheeling with a .932 SV%, 2.00 GAA, three shutouts, and a 20-7-5 record in 33 games. That was enough to earn him a two-way deal from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline, making him eligible to join the club as an emergency backup option for the playoffs.
As the Penguins continue to jockey for playoff positioning in the Metropolitan Division, they’ll have to do so without Skinner for now. He had been emerging as their likely Game 1 starter. Head coach Dan Muse had been quite strict in a nightly rotation with Skinner and Silovs since the former’s acquisition from the Oilers in December, but Skinner had started four out of five leading into yesterday’s win over Florida and was expected to make it five of seven today.
Skinner’s .886 SV% and 11-8-5 record in 24 games since his acquisition aren’t much to write home about, but he’s been steadily improving while Silovs has hit a rough patch. Over each netminder’s last 10 games, Skinner has saved 1.4 goals above expected while Silovs has a gnarly -6.4 GSAx, per MoneyPuck.
The Penguins have all but clinched a playoff spot, entering today’s schedule with a 99.2% chance at a postseason berth. There’s now a five-point gap between them and the Islanders for second place in the Metro, with the Pens having five games left and New York having four.
As for Hayes, he was technically rostered for yesterday’s game as well as a scratch, so this morning’s announcement is overdue. He was just sent down to WBS on Friday but played for them that night, making him eligible to come back up to the NHL roster right away. He didn’t draw into the lineup for today’s game either but now has three goals through his first 13 NHL games, all this season.
Breaking Down The Future Of The Penguins’ Goaltending
Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas faced a major challenge last year, juggling two inconsistent yet talented goaltenders on his roster while desperately needing stability. He knew he had a promising prospect in Sergey Murashov, but the young player needed time in the minors to develop, which meant Dubas had to rely on temporary solutions.
Those stopgaps have become Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs, who have formed a tandem that isn’t spectacular but has been enough to keep the Penguins in the playoff hunt despite some bumps in the road. As both contribute fairly evenly, with a rookie netminder waiting in the wings, this has created an interesting dynamic in the Penguins’ crease, potentially leading to some roster moves this summer.
One year ago, the Penguins had Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic as their goaltenders, earning a combined $7.875MM per season. Jarry, in particular, was earning $5.375MM and had three years remaining on his contract.
Dubas started the summer by trading Nedeljkovic to the Sharks for a third-round pick on July 1. Many questioned whether Pittsburgh believed that another goalie prospect, Joel Blomqvist, was ready to be an NHL backup, but Dubas quickly dismissed this idea by acquiring Silovs from the Canucks for a fourth-round pick and a prospect. Since Silovs had to clear waivers in Vancouver, they would have to let him go for free, effectively making it a discount. The trade meant Pittsburgh would begin the season with Jarry as the starter and Silovs as the backup.
Jarry actually started the season quite well for Pittsburgh, posting a 9-3-1 record with a .909 SV% and a 2.66 GAA. This beginning had Penguins fans calling for Dubas to act and trade Jarry to another team, even though his play was decent.
Dubas did just that, trading Jarry and his overpriced contract to the Oilers in exchange for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a second-round pick. The move was a surprising development since Pittsburgh retained none of Jarry’s contract, and it involved moving a player who had been on waivers the previous year.
It marked a turning point for Pittsburgh, as they effectively moved on from the volatility of Jarry and Nedeljkovic in favor of what amounts to average goaltending. Now, the Penguins face some decisions heading into the summer, as Skinner is a UFA on July 1 and Silovs is an RFA. It’s almost certain that Pittsburgh will retain Silovs and keep him in the fold, but Skinner is far less of a certainty.
AFP Analytics is projecting a two-year deal for the 27-year-old Skinner worth $3.86MM per season, but given the thin free-agent market and the lack of potential starters, that projection and term seem quite light. At $3.86MM, Pittsburgh would likely be in line to retain him and let Murashov develop in the AHL, but it’s unlikely Skinner would accept that deal now, considering he has plenty of leverage.
That’s where it gets interesting for the Penguins: if they let Skinner walk, they have his potential replacement waiting in the wings. But do they need to wait for Murashov, or is he the guy next year?
If the Penguins decide to make Murashov a full-time NHL player next season, do they trust that Silovs can step up and handle most of the starts? The 25-year-old Silovs has a projected AAV of $2.033MM on a one-year deal, which makes sense since he has shown he can play in the NHL this season, but he hasn’t proven he can be a consistent starter.
Silovs is 16-10-8 this year with an .890 SV% and a 2.98 GAA. Those stats don’t exactly scream consistency, but they are a noticeable improvement over his numbers with Vancouver when he was with the Canucks, and given his age, he can still improve.
Still, can the Penguins rely on him to be a full-time NHL backup behind an inexperienced rookie next season? It’s hard to say for certain, but Silovs’ underlying numbers don’t exactly indicate he’s a sure thing as a starter, and there’s no guarantee Murashov can play 50 games next season — in fact, there’s a good chance he won’t.
So, should Pittsburgh keep Skinner and Silovs and retain Murashov in the AHL? In an ideal world, yes, they’d hold onto both netminders for the next year or two, with Murashov excelling in the AHL, and then the Penguins would promote Murashov full-time.
However, Skinner will likely seek every year and dollar he can get, considering his career has been quite unstable so far, and it might be his best shot at becoming a very wealthy man. This means Pittsburgh has to decide if it’s Murashov or someone else.
It’s not ideal for the Penguins, as they probably don’t have a clear sense if Murashov’s ready to be the guy yet, and they aren’t likely to commit to anyone in free agency, nor could they even if they wanted to give the poor free agent market for goaltenders, so it really comes down to Murashov or Skinner being the guy next season with Silovs as their backup.
The most likely scenario is that Pittsburgh will offer Skinner a short-term deal to bridge the gap until Murashov becomes a full-time NHL player, while allowing both players to share duties in the NHL if Murashov is set to play full-time. Contractually, this would likely be a short-term deal in the $4MM–$5MM a year range.
Would this be enough to persuade Skinner to forgo free agency? Not likely, but if Skinner enters the market and doesn’t receive the salary he’s hoping for, he and the Penguins could revisit negotiations. However, he might also receive a lucrative offer from another NHL team, leading him to leave Pittsburgh, which could put Dubas in a tough spot.
The Danger Of Signing Goalies To Lucrative Contracts
The New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks are two of the NHL’s worst teams this season and are both on the verge of massive roster changes. While both teams face unique challenges, one parallel is that they’ve made a mess of their goaltending finances with pricey extensions that were miscalculations.
The Rangers and Canucks are far from alone in this predicament. High-priced extensions have also burned several other teams at the bottom of the standings, leaving them with goaltenders who had been performing well but whose play fell off a cliff after signing their new deals.
That isn’t necessarily the case for Shesterkin, however, it is the case for Linus Ullmark of the Ottawa Senators, Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators, and Jacob Markstrom of the New Jersey Devils, who are all making big money on recent contract extensions, with no guarantees their play will turn around. This has left three teams with win-now rosters featuring goaltenders who are vastly overpaid.
It’s become a trend over the past five-plus years that teams signing goaltenders to expensive deals must be seriously concerned about their performance throughout the term of the agreement.
There is concern about every player’s performance after they sign a lucrative long-term deal. However, goaltenders have become a unique cause for concern lately, and it’s hard to say why.
In the late 1990s and throughout the 2000s, many veteran goaltenders on the wrong side of 30 would sign expensive long-term deals without so much as a second thought from their new teams. In July 2002, for example, goalie Curtis Joseph signed a three-year, $24MM contract with the Detroit Red Wings, even though it wasn’t the best offer on the table.
Joseph had a three-year $26MM offer from the Toronto Maple Leafs but opted to move to Detroit. Toronto then pivoted and signed Ed Belfour to a two-year, $13.5MM deal.
By today’s standards, those contracts aren’t eye-popping, and the term is relatively short. But Belfour and Joseph were 37 and 35, respectively, and there was a chance their play would drop off significantly during the brief time they were signed.
Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine a team giving $8MM a season to a 35-year-old goaltender, and Joseph’s deal was inked 23 and a half years ago. The Senators gave Ullmark four years and $8.25MM annually just last year, but he had just turned 32 and was two seasons removed from a Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender.
It was a pricey gamble for Ottawa and hasn’t looked like good value this season, but Ullmark has been dealing with personal issues, so it’s hard to project how the deal will work out long-term.
Circling back to the Rangers and Canucks, they are a tale of two teams whose expensive goaltending has led to team-wide issues, but for wildly different reasons. In Vancouver, Thatcher Demko was signed to a lucrative three-year deal at the start of free agency, worth $8.5MM annually.
It was a gamble by Vancouver, as they hoped the former Vezina Trophy finalist could bounce back from a poor showing last season. Had Demko had a good year, he would have been a candidate to get $9MM or more on a new contract, but Vancouver thought it was wise to jump the queue. It has not turned out well.
If Demko had played well, Vancouver likely would have paid him an AAV slightly higher than the $8.5MM they gave him, but would’ve been on the hook for more term, which would’ve been riskier. Instead, Vancouver made a different bet and is now on the hook for more term than Demko would’ve received in free agency. But hindsight is 20/20, and for the Canucks, they are stuck with the Demko deal, one they’d love to have back.
In New York, it was a different calculation. Rangers’ general manager Chris Drury believed he had a Stanley Cup contender on his hands, which meant doing everything he could to retain his Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender, Igor Shesterkin. Drury moved out his captain, Jacob Trouba, to open up space to sign Shesterkin to a record-breaking eight-year, $92MM contract.
While it was the right on-ice move given Trouba’s cap hit relative to his play, the Rangers have never been the same since the trade. New York fell off a cliff last season and has remained at the bottom of the league this year, despite Shesterkin being good.
But that is the issue: Shesterkin has only been good. In the years leading up to his extension, Shesterkin was elite.
His play in those seasons masked many of the Rangers’ problems and led Drury and New York management to think the team was much better than it actually was. Shesterkin’s goaltending was a mask, hiding the fact that Drury had built a fatally flawed roster that relied too much on out-of-this-world netminding, which was clearly unsustainable.
While the Rangers, Canucks, Devils and Predators aren’t the only teams with pricey goaltending, they are the most apparent examples of paying a premium for goaltending. But even middle-of-the-pack teams can run into issues where their extensions turn into disasters.
There are good examples in Washington: a few years ago, with Darcy Kuemper, who had just won a Stanley Cup, and Philipp Grubauer, who had been solid for years before signing as a free agent with Seattle and becoming unplayable in the NHL. Matt Murray in Ottawa was the same story, but none is more egregious and obvious than Tristan Jarry in Pittsburgh, who was recently dealt.
Pittsburgh is a relevant example because of Stuart Skinner, who has been a revelation with the Penguins but is a UFA at the end of the season. Pittsburgh already has its goalie of the future in tow in Sergey Murashov, and the Penguins would be wise to ride Skinner into the playoffs and then let him walk in the offseason if his salary demands exceed $5MM annually, which they surely will. It should be interesting to see the Skinner story unfold, but there is plenty of evidence that the Penguins would be wise to avoid giving term to a netminder who is unpredictable.
Penguins Recall Sergei Murashov On An Emergency Basis
Dec. 15th: According to a team announcement, Skinner and Kulak have made it through the immigration process and have been added to the Penguins’ active roster. After doing that, Pittsburgh was able to assign Murashov back to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton from his emergency recall.
Dec. 13th: While Pittsburgh has a new netminder, they’ll have to wait a bit for his debut with the team. The Penguins announced (Twitter link) that both Stuart Skinner and defenseman Brett Kulak have been granted non-roster status while going through the immigration process. With the team needing a second goalie for tonight’s game against San Jose, Sergei Murashov has been recalled from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Murashov was a fourth-round pick by the Penguins back in 2022 and he is in his second full season in North America. Last year, he split time between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and ECHL Wheeling, doing well at both levels, including a .922 SV% in 26 games with the latter.
That moved him up the depth chart this season and earned him his first NHL action earlier on this season. Murashov has played in four games with Pittsburgh, posting a 1-1-1 record with his win being a shutout. He has a solid 1.90 GAA and .913 SV% in those outings which is certainly worthy of a longer look. However, with two other goalies on their roster, they’ve prioritized maximizing Murashov’s playing time in the minors. In 11 outings with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he has been elite, compiling a 1.56 GAA and a .943 SV%.
It can take several days for a player to go through the immigration process and with applications typically not getting processed on weekends, it might take a few games before Skinner and Kulak get the green light to make their Penguins debuts.
Oilers Acquire Tristan Jarry, Spencer Stastney
9:45 a.m.: All three teams have confirmed the trades. The Penguins confirmed that the draft pick acquired from the Oilers will be Edmonton’s 2029 second-round pick. No salary was retained in either deal.
9:02 a.m.: The Edmonton Oilers are reportedly close to making a pair of significant trades today. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Oilers are working to acquire netminder Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins and defenseman Spencer Stastney from the Nashville Predators. Shortly thereafter, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun confirmed that Jarry is heading to Edmonton.
As trade details continue to trickle in, LeBrun reported that Stastney will cost Edmonton their 2027 third-round pick. Meanwhile, insider Frank Seravalli suggests that Stuart Skinner and another player are a part of the package going to Pittsburgh for Jarry. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes added that defenseman Brett Kulak and a draft pick are also going to Pittsburgh, while former first-round pick Samuel Poulin is headed to Alberta.
Edmonton’s interest in Jarry has been well-known for the last few weeks. A day before American Thanksgiving, Weekes reported that Jarry had been generating trade interest from around the league and that the Oilers were far and away the most interested — for good reason. Given the tight salary cap situation for the Oilers, it’s likely that trade conversations between Edmonton and Pittsburgh have been going on for the last several weeks.
After playing relatively well for the Oilers throughout their first run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024, Edmonton returned to the Cup Final last season despite Skinner’s performance. He didn’t play in all the potential games throughout last year’s push, but he finished with a .889 SV% in 15 contests, including a more than disappointing .861 SV% in five games against the Florida Panthers.
The situation has worsened this season, and obviously reached a boiling point for the Oilers’ front office. Through Edmonton’s first 33 games, the duo of Skinner and Calvin Pickard has combined for a .879 SV%. There was no help available via recall either, as third-string netminder Connor Ingram owns a .868 mark with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.
If Jarry continues his current resurgence, the Oilers should have some newfound stability in the crease. In 13 starts this season, Jarry has a 9-3-1 record with a .909 SV% and 2.66 GAA. According to MoneyPuck, for netminders that have played in 10 or more games, Jarry is ranked 22nd in the league for Goals Saved Above Expected this season. He’s by no means the best netminder in the league this season, though he’s performing much better than Skinner and Pickard, who are ranked 32nd and 52nd, respectively.
Still, Jarry has been volatile in his own right. Last season, in what was the worst performance of his professional career, Jarry finished with a .892 SV% and 3.12 GAA, ranking 33rd in GSAx. If he reverts to that form as he finishes out the remaining three years of his five-year, $28.66MM contract, the Oilers will be in a world of trouble.
At any rate, while they acquired a pair of pending unrestricted free agents in Skinner and Kulak, it’s nothing but a win for the Penguins to receive a second-round pick for Jarry’s services. One year ago, Pittsburgh placed Jarry on the waiver wire, meaning the Oilers could have had him for free had they been able to make the money work. The fact that the Penguins were able to get actual assets for Jarry a year later is a testament to their patience.
Meanwhile, the Oilers have swapped Kulak’s $2.75MM cap hit with Stastney’s $825K. Despite finishing with the highest point production of his career last season, Kulak has struggled through the first few months of the 2025-26 campaign.
Registering only two assists in 31 games, it became apparent that Kulak’s time with the Oilers may be coming to an end. Typically reliable on the defensive side of the puck, Kulak’s 87.0% on-ice save percentage at even strength was troubling considering that he had never finished with lower than an 89.0% mark throughout his 12-year career.
Stastney, 25, offers more on the offensive side of the puck and is actually performing better on the defensive side of the puck compared to Kulak this season. The pending restricted free agent blueliner has scored one goal and nine points in 30 games this season for the Predators, averaging a 90.0% on-ice save percentage.
Lastly, as a part of the Jarry trade, the Penguins have finally moved on from Poulin. The 24-year-old had appeared in a few games for the Penguins this season, but failed to do much with his opportunity despite being given middle-six minutes. Still, he’s been on a tear in the AHL, scoring nine goals and 20 points in 22 games. He’ll likely report directly to the Oilers, considering the number of injuries they’ve had to their depth forwards this season.
Photo courtesy of Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images.
West Notes: Oilers Goaltending, Garland, Brossoit
The Edmonton Oilers have surrendered the most goals of any team in the NHL so far this season, and that’s something many believe to be the primary driver of Edmonton’s less-than-stellar start to 2025-26. But while there are those who hope that the Oilers move on from netminders Stuart Skinner (.885 save percentage in 19 games) and Calvin Pickard (.847 in nine games), it doesn’t appear the Oilers feel any rush to get a deal done for a new goalie.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on yesterday’s Saturday Headlines segment that Edmonton has “made enough calls” to know which goalies are likely available to them, but are not willing to make a trade that they would view as a “lateral move.” Whether or not swapping Skinner for a goalie such as Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry, Columbus’ Elvis Merzlikins, or a member of Buffalo’s goalie trio would represent a real upgrade is a matter of fair debate, but as of right now, it appears that debate is settled as far as Edmonton’s management is concerned. According to Friedman, they’d rather continue ahead with Skinner, with whom they’ve reached back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, than make what they’d view as a less-than-optimal goalie swap.
Other notes from the Western Conference:
- Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland missed yesterday’s game with an injury, but Friedman reported that the ailment is “not believed to be serious.” Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre reported that Garland’s injury is not concussion-related, and while he will remain with the team for their road trip, he is questionable to play in the Canucks’ next game, Tuesday, in Denver. Garland is a key play-driver for the Canucks and has 15 points in 21 games so far in 2025-26.
- Aside from Edmonton, Friedman also reported a development regarding the goalie situation of another Western team: the Chicago Blackhawks. Veteran goalie Laurent Brossoit is set to return from a year-and-a-half injury absence, but finds himself outside of Chicago’s goaltending plans. Friedman reported that the Blackhawks have given other teams permission to speak with Brossoit, likely with the hopes that opening the lines of communication will make it easier to complete a trade involving Brossoit. The fact that Brossoit makes $3.3MM against the cap complicates things, but the 32-year-old’s most recent NHL performances (.927 save percentage as a backup in both Winnipeg and Vegas) should help him garner some real interest from other teams.
Oilers’ Coach Kris Knoblauch Mum On Game 6 Starting Goalie
Facing elimination, Edmonton Oilers’ coach Kris Knoblauch still isn’t sure who his starting goalie will be for Game 6. Or, at least, he isn’t making his intentions known.
Knoblauch didn’t commit to either Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard, stating the team will go with whichever goalie gives them the best chance to win. When asked how he’ll make the decision, Knoblauch said, “That’s a conversation with the staff. Obviously, our goaltending coach Dustin Schwartz, but with all the assistants and the general manager to weigh how everyone feels and what’s best moving forward.”
Knoblauch acknowledged that the decision is “not an easy one,” pointing out that both goalies have proven they can win games. He added that whichever goalie is chosen, the team believes they’ll be the one to help secure a win on the road in Game 6.
Skinner started the first four games of the Finals but was pulled in two of them, prompting Knoblauch to start Pickard in Game 5. The decision was made in hopes that Pickard could replicate his heroics from Game 4, where he stopped 22 of 23 shots in the overtime win. However, he struggled in Game 5, allowing four goals on 18 shots for a .778 save percentage. Despite the Oilers making it to Game 6 of the Finals, both goalies have put up less-than-stellar statistics throughout the playoffs, with Skinner posting an .891 save percentage and Pickard owning an .886 mark.
While Knoblauch was non-committal on who he’ll start, the team may have tipped their hand during practice today. As TSN’s Ryan Rishaug points out, Skinner was in what was the starter’s net the last time they practiced in Florida. Rishaug added that forward Kasperi Kapanen and defenseman John Klingberg took part in line drills, signaling their potential return. Kapanen was replaced in the lineup by Viktor Arvidsson in Game 5.
Poll: Who Will Win The Western Conference Finals?
The Western Conference finals are set, as the defending conference champion Edmonton Oilers will take on the Dallas Stars, led by the phenomenal play of Mikko Rantanen. It’s a rematch from last season’s conference final, where the Oilers came out on top in six games.
The Oilers have been on a heater since starting round one with a 2-0 series deficit against the Los Angeles Kings. Since then, the Oilers have lost just one game, winning four in a row against the Kings before taking down the Golden Knights in five games. Unsurprisingly, the team is being led by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who have combined for 33 points in 11 games. The Oilers lead all teams with 43 playoff goals, averaging nearly 4 goals per game.
The Oilers have also benefited from standout play by defenseman Evan Bouchard, who leads the team with 26:24 of ice time per game in the playoffs, while contributing 12 points and a team-high 13 takeaways. This continues Bouchard’s tremendous playoff run from last season, when he recorded 32 points and a plus-14 rating, helping the Oilers reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
An intriguing storyline for the Oilers heading into the Western Conference Final is the performance of their goaltenders. Despite the team cruising through two rounds, Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner have combined for just an .886 save percentage, which doesn’t inspire much confidence during a playoff run. At some point, it stands to reason that the Oilers may struggle to sustain their momentum with that level of goaltending. That said, Pickard has been perfect since stepping in as the starter, posting a 6-0 record and providing timely saves when needed.
The Stars are being carried by Rantanen, whose league-leading 19 playoff points have been nothing short of spectacular. However, offensive support from the rest of the roster has been inconsistent. Wyatt Johnston, who tallied 71 points during the regular season, has managed just eight in the playoffs and carries a troubling minus-13 rating. Veterans Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have struggled to make an impact, while 20-goal scorers Evgenii Dadonov and Mikael Granlund have failed to replicate their regular-season production. Despite Rantanen’s heroics, Dallas enters the Western Conference Final with a minus-four goal differential.
That also includes the exceptional goaltending of Jake Oettinger, who has posted a .919 save percentage through 13 playoff games. The 26-year-old has been a consistently reliable performer in the postseason, carrying a .913 save percentage over 60 career appearances. His steady presence in the net will be critical as Dallas prepares to face Edmonton’s high-powered offense.
So, what will win out: the Oilers’ explosive offense, or the Stars’ stout goaltending and the heroics of Rantanen? It’s a clash of strengths that could define the rematch. Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thinking!
Who will win the Western Conference Finals?
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Edmonton Oilers 67% (2,220)
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Dallas Stars 33% (1,098)
Total votes: 3,318
Calvin Pickard Day-To-Day With Undisclosed Injury
Sunday: Pickard has been ruled out for Monday, relays Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link). Skinner will get the nod between the pipes for the second straight game.
Saturday: The Oilers will be making a lineup change heading into tonight’s third game versus Vegas. However, it’s not one they’d prefer to make as goaltender Calvin Pickard did not take part in the morning skate today. Following the skate, head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters including Jesse Granger of The Athletic (Twitter link) that Pickard is listed as day-to-day and that Stuart Skinner will get the nod tonight. Olivier Rodrigue will serve as the backup.
Skinner returns between the pipes after two very rocky starts to start the playoffs against Los Angeles. In those outings, he allowed 11 goals on just 57 shots in 108 minutes of playing time for a .810 SV% to go along with a 6.10 GAA. Edmonton lost both of those games, leading them to turn to Pickard for the third game of that series.
Since then, Pickard has played well, winning all six of his starts despite a below-average save percentage of his own, checking in at .888 but he hasn’t allowed more than four goals in any of his outings, allowing Edmonton’s high-octane offense to help lead them on this winning streak. However, Tomas Hertl fell into him late in Thursday’s second game and it’s possible that’s where this injury came about.
Skinner is no stranger to playing in high-pressure games as he was Edmonton’s starter for the bulk of their run to the Stanley Cup Final last year but got off to a slow start in that run as well. Overall, he had a 2.45 GAA and .901 SV% in that postseason. He also made 50 starts for the Oilers this season, posting a 2.81 GAA and a .896 SV%. He now has a second chance to try to reclaim his number one spot while trying to lead Edmonton to a commanding three-game lead in the series.
Western Conference Notes: Landeskog, Pickard, Poturalski
After recently playing for the first time in 1,032 days, Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog is set for a bigger role in game four of their matchup with against the Dallas Stars, per an NHL release.
The veteran is expected to join the top power-play unit and slot in on a line alongside Brock Nelson and Valeri Nichushkin. In his game three return, a 2-1 lost, Landeskog remarkably led all players with six hits in 13:16 of total ice time. He skated on the Avs third line next to Charlie Coyle and Joel Kiviranta.
After captaining the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup championship in 2022, the winger, 32, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, which put his career in jeopardy. But after nearly three years of intense rehab, the Swedish-born forward has made his return, something that has greatly inspired the organization.
As head coach Avalanche Jared Bednar stated today: “It’s remarkable, really. When you think about the time he’s been away, and then you see the way he played the other night, I thought he was incredible under those circumstances.”
Elsewhere in the Western Conference:
- The Edmonton Oilers have announced goalie Calvin Pickard will start game three of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings, per TSN. Pickard replaced Stuart Skinner in the third period of the team’s 6-2 loss in game two. Coach Kris Knoblauch noted the team will need a big game from Pickard, adding that the Oilers need “big saves at big times.” Pickard had a solid showing in the regular season, finishing with 22-10-1 record and .900 save percentage. Skinner, meanwhile, struggled for a starter with a .896 save percentage on the year through 51 appearances. And through two playoff starts, the 26-year-old holds a rough .810 save percentage and staggering 6.11 goals against average. If the Oilers have any hope of making another deep playoff run, they’ll need significantly better play between the pipes.
- While not much went right for the San Jose Sharks this season, their AHL-affiliate does have something big to celebrate. San Jose Barracuda forward Andrew Poturalski was announced as the winner of the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL’s most valuable player, per a league release. Poturalski, 31, scored 73 points in 59 games to lead the Barracuda to their best record since 2019 (while missing the final three weeks of the regular season due to injury). Poturalski has had a phenomenal AHL career, securing three scoring titles and two Calder Cup championships. However, he has never been able to showcase that success in the NHL, appearing in just nine games with three assists.