Oilers’ Stuart Skinner gets 100% honest about offseason grind ahead of 2025-26 NHL season

Stuart Skinner is taking a different approach this summer as he prepares for the 2025-26 NHL season. The Edmonton Oilers goaltender, drafted in the third round in 2017, admitted he went back to the ice too soon last year. After Edmonton’s 2024 Stanley Cup Final loss, he returned to skating on Aug. 1 in Kelowna, B.C., but felt it was not the best decision.

This offseason, he focused more on rest before training again.

“Going into the season, I want to be as fresh as I can, as strong as I can,” Skinner said on Sunday, via NHL.com.

He added that staying away from the rink longer helped him regain energy and excitement for hockey. For him, the time off was just as important as the work on the ice.

The Oilers have lost two straight finals to the Florida Panthers, but the lessons remain.

“Going through it a second time, which is obviously devastating, but being able to say you went through this does actually help you get over it quicker,” Skinner said.

He believes the team can use the experience to prepare better and keep pushing forward.

Last season was his fourth in the NHL, all with Edmonton. Skinner played 51 regular-season games, finishing with a 26-18-4 record, a 2.81 goals-against average and three shutouts. In the playoffs, he went 7-7 with a 3.00 goals-against average and three shutouts. Skinner played well in the series against Dallas but struggled in the final against Florida.

Zach Laing predicts five-year extension for Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner

Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner is entering an important point in his career. His contract runs through the 2025-26 season with a $2.6 million cap hit, but talks about an extension already started. His performance dipped in 2024-25 compared to the previous campaign.

Even with those struggles, Oilers Nation’s Zach Laing suggested Edmonton might keep him long-term. Using Evolving Hockey’s model, Laing predicted that the most likely outcome is a five-year extension worth $6.817 million per season. He added that it has a 22% chance of happening.

“The predicted, or most likely deal is a five-year extension carrying a $6.817-million cap hit,” Laing wrote on Aug. 10.

Looking back on the past few years, Skinner admitted the pace has been quick.

“There’s been a lot of things going on in a compressed amount of time,” Skinner said on Sunday, via NHL.com. “I think being able to be in the position that I’m in and being able to do what I’ve done with an amazing group of guys, it’s pretty cool.”

The Oilers have stood by Skinner, pointing to different playoff series where he outplayed other goalies.