Oilers goalie Skinner has Vezina-like numbers over last few months
The Edmonton Oilers have been getting some spectacular goaltending from Stuart Skinner over the last few months.
After starting the season with a dismal .891 save percentage (sv%) and a 3-9-1 record, the sophomore goaltender turned things around in a big way. Since letting in four goals in a 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on November 22, Skinner has rattled off 19 wins and has a .932 SV% in the 24 games following.
As Tony Brar from Oilers TV pointed out on social media, those 19 wins are tied for the most in the league during that span with only Vancouver Canucks All-Star Thatcher Demko managing to do the same.
Stuart Skinner’s goaltending ranks since Nov. 24:
19 Wins: T-1st (Demko)
.932 SV%: 4th
1.83 GAA: 2ndStarts vs. Detroit tonight. #Oilers pic.twitter.com/bhH1nqmzIe
— Tony Brar (@TonyBrarOTV) February 13, 2024
Skinner’s overall save percentage has also ballooned since that loss in Carolina, going from .891 up to .909. That is only a few percentage points below the .914 SV% he recorded in his 50-game rookie season last year that helped him become the runner-up to the Calder Trophy.
Advanced stats paint an even prettier redemption arc for the 25-year-old Skinner. In late October, Moneypuck.com had him ranked second-last in the entire league in goals saved above expected (GSAx) at -5.1. He has now risen more than 20 spots and has a GSAx of +2.1 in mid-February.
EDM CBJ G43. January 23, 2024. Stuart Skinner save on Johnny Gaudreau.🎥: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/Ke0YzaVEUF
— Nation Network Media (@NationNMedia) January 24, 2024
Though a tough start is likely to stifle his chances of becoming a serious contender for this year’s Vezina trophy, this does bode well for Skinner in the long run. He has now shown in consecutive seasons that he is capable of not only being an NHL starting goaltender but an elite one as well.
He has a pretty good consolation prize in that he now holds the Oilers franchise record for consecutive wins with 12, surpassing Hall of Famer Grant Fuhr’s previous record of 10.
EDM NSH G45. January 27, 2024. Grant Fuhr congratulates Stuart Skinner on breaking his win streak. 🎥: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/8feGg2A2Zg
— Nation Network Media (@NationNMedia) January 27, 2024
What this has done for the Oilers is give management some peace of mind ahead of next month’s trade deadline. No longer will a bonafide starting goalie be on their wish list, which will allow Oilers GM Ken Holland to fill other holes on the roster instead.