Edmonton Oilers Rumors: $7,800,000 Star’s Future Under Threat as Stanley Cup Final Struggles Worsen

The Edmonton Oilers are in deep trouble in the Stanley Cup Final after losing 5-2 to the Florida Panthers on Saturday, June 14. The win puts the Panthers in the driver’s seat to win another Stanley cup as they are up 3-2 with a chance to clinch in Florida on Tuesday night.

With this loss, though, more questions have been raised about the Oilers’ goalkeeping situation. Since the Oilers’ 6-1 loss to Florida in Game 3, critics have been questioning whether Stuart Skinner has been doing a good job.

Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch knows that his players must win both games to clinch the Cup. Otherwise, it is going to be a second Stanley Cup Final that the Oilers have lost to the Panthers. This might also put a dent in Skinner’s future with the Oilers.

Future Seems Dismal for Edmonton Oilers’ Stuart Skinner

For Skinner, with his $7.8 million price tag and an average annual value (AAV) of $2.6 million, his performances in the Final, especially his game from close range, have been underwhelming. Skinner appears, at times, to be playing too far out from the goal and has a tough time getting back to the post.

The Panthers’ offense has been dismantling Skinner due to his weaknesses, which include his lateral movement. Skinner has been slow when blocking some shots, and it has been pretty visible.

With secondary goalie Calvin Pickard getting the calls for the biggest games, the Oilers’ management appears to be losing trust in Skinner. His inability to protect against power plays and rush chances isn’t working either.

Even in Game 4, where the Oilers managed to even up the Final at 2-2, Skinner let in three goals on 17 shots, which nearly gave the Panthers an early win. It took Pickard getting in goal to stop the Panthers’ onrush, saving 22 of 23 shots. While Skinner has been better when considering high-danger shots, his lackluster ability to stop low- and medium-range goals has been a point of concern.

Florida’s Sam Bennett was pretty effective against Skinner. The situation led to getting Skinner out in favor of Pickard and sitting him for Game 5. While Brad Marchand and Bennett made short work of Pickard as well, it was still a better performance than Skinner’s.

Skinner’s time with the Oilers might come to an end after the NHL offseason. With one more year remaining on his contract worth $2.6 million, the Oilers might look for a better goalie once free agency comes.