New Winnipeg goalie Skinner excited to be a Jet
Stuart Skinner is well aware that he could very well become the Winnipeg Jets' starting goaltender this season.
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Stuart Skinner is enthusiastic about joining the team, despite the uncertainty surrounding his role. Connor Hellebuyck, the team's previous starting netminder, has requested a trade, leaving Skinner's future as the Jets' primary goaltender open. Skinner, who signed a two-year deal with the team last July, has not given the situation much thought, as he knows there are many distractions in professional hockey.
The 27-year-old played for the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins last season, recording a goals-against average of 2.77 over 224 NHL games. Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and 2025 Hart Trophy winner, is still under contract for five more years at an annual salary of about $8.5 million. Skinner, a 215-pound 6-foot-4 native of Edmonton, played in the 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup finals for the Oilers but was dealt to Pittsburgh after a struggling season.
Skinner is excited to play in Winnipeg, where he can use the home-ice advantage, and praises his new teammates for being welcoming and helpful. The Jets missed the playoffs last season, finishing 12th in the Western Conference, but Skinner believes the team has the potential to win.
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