Edmonton-born goalie Skinner navigates Jets' Hellebuyck trade saga
Former Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner says he's staying focused on his own game as Winnipeg sorts out the future of longtime starter Connor Hellebuyck.
Stuart Skinner, a six-foot-four Edmonton native who backstopped the Oilers to consecutive Stanley Cup final losses in 2024 and 2025, signed a two-year deal with the Winnipeg Jets last July. He now finds himself in the middle of uncertainty surrounding Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg's starting goaltender for the past decade, who has repeated a request to be traded.
Speaking after an informal skate at the Hockey For All Centre, Skinner said he hasn't dwelled on how the situation might affect him. "My job is my job," the 27-year-old said, adding he has learned to tune out distractions over his four NHL seasons. Skinner holds a career goals-against average of 2.77 over 224 regular-season games.
Hellebuyck, 33, remains under contract for five more years at roughly $8.5 million annually. He is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and captured the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in 2025. Jets captain Adam Lowry said the team will treat Hellebuyck as a full member of the club as long as he remains under contract.
Skinner was traded from Edmonton to Pittsburgh midseason last year after a stretch of struggles, splitting the season between the two teams. He said his new Jets teammates have made the transition easy and expressed optimism about Winnipeg's chances this season after the club missed the playoffs last spring despite winning the Presidents' Trophy the year before.
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