Amid all the hullabaloo around Connor McDavid and his as-yet pending contract extension, one aspect of the Oilers’ roster-building has somewhat flown under the radar.
After back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final, lessons have been learnt in Edmonton, with many fans identifying the goaltending department as needing a major upgrade. Current No. 1 goalie Stuart Skinner’s future has been up in the air all summer, with several names bandied about as a solution to Edmonton’s problems.
Oilers Boss Makes Stance Clear on Stuart Skinner
On media day, McDavid’s contract standoff was expected to take center stage but there was room enough for a discussion on the Oilers’ goaltending issue.
However, GM Stan Bowman wasted little time in making his stance crystal clear. When asked if the franchise was considering a move for former Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart, Bowman’s answer was resounding.
The Oilers boss told reporters that Hart was not under consideration, and that Edmonton likes where Skinner is at. The message was clear: Skinner will start the season as the No. 1 goalie.
“We are not looking at that situation. We like where Stu (Skinner) is at,” Bowman on if they were looking at Carter Hart.
— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) September 17, 2025
Hart was one of five players acquitted in the Hockey Canada trial. Interestingly, Hart also shares the same agent as McDavid. However, that is unlikely to have played any part in the Oilers’ reluctance to bring Hart on board.
Hart, who last signed a three-year, $11,937,000 contract with Philadelphia, will also not be returning to the Flyers. Philadelphia will instead begin training camp with Samuel Ersson and Dan Vladar, who signed in free agency.
As for the Oilers, Skinner remains the incumbent No. 1 in Edmonton with Calvin Pickard as his backup.
This is a crucial year for Skinner, who is entering the final year of his $7.8 million deal. At times, Skinner has looked like a true-blue No. 1, making that $7.8M deal look like a bargain. Other times… not so much.
With two straight Stanley Cup trips and 26 playoff victories under his belt over the past three years, the Oilers don’t have reason to leave Skinner out in the cold just yet. Moreover, there are precious few options in the league who would be within the realm of possibility if the Oilers decide to dip into the trade market.
Skinner also appears to have extra motivation to up his game. Bowman noted that Skinner looks a lot lighter this year.
“I actually saw Stu earlier this week in the kitchen before going on the ice. The first thing I noticed was he looked thin. And I said, ‘You look different.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I wanted to try something different, be a little bit lighter this year, and I feel great.’ And he does. He looks good. He looks quick on the ice,” Bowman told reporters.
For now, it appears the Oilers are sticking with Stuart Skinner. But things could look a lot different at the trade deadline.