Stuart Skinner

This Season So Far

The 2026-27 season has not started. The empty row above is his, and both it and this paragraph fill in on their own from the morning after he first plays: what he has done, what it is worth against his own last season, and the run he is on when the two disagree.

Last Season

50 games, a .888 save percentage and a 2.92 goals-against average with 2 shutouts, going 23-17-9. That is below his career .902, which is itself below what a starter needs to be.

The Physical Game

6-4 and he plays big when he is square, which is most of the time. He is technically sound in a straightforward way — good depth, quiet hands, no wasted motion — and on nights when he is seeing the puck he looks like a starter without much drama.

The recurring problem is tracking through traffic. Pucks get to him late from the point through a screen, and because he is a blocking goaltender rather than a reactive one, late means beaten. His rebound control is adequate and no better; second chances have been a consistent source of goals against.

He handles the puck well, which matters behind a defence that gets forechecked.

The Mental Game

The most examined part of him. He spent several seasons as the starter for a club with championship expectations and was pulled, benched and replaced in playoff series more than once. There were stretches where he was excellent and stretches where the confidence visibly went.

The Intangibles

He arrives behind a goaltender who does not need relieving often, which is either a demotion or the most sensible thing that could happen to him — 30 starts of low-pressure work is exactly what a goaltender in this position needs.

At 27 the profile is a competent 1B. Whether there is a starter in there is a question he has already been asked once and did not answer.