Oilers GM Stan Bowman reveals real season behind Stuart Skinner’s monster trade

The Edmonton Oilers made waves earlier on Friday morning when they acquired goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin to the Pittsburgh Penguins in return for netminder Stuart Skinner, veteran defenseman Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round pick in a blockbuster move.

Reactions did not emerge immediately on social media with fans and pundits scratching their heads with this one. Most commented that it seems like the Oilers are basically trading a volatile goaltender for another… On Friday, general manager Stan Bowman commented on his decision to pull the trigger on the blockbuster earlier in the morning.

Bowman explained that one of the things that was attractive about the deal was the fact that Jarry has two years left on his contract, so this sets him up to be the goalie for the next three playoff runs.

Skinner is on an expiring contract, set to hit free agency this summer.

Insider Pierre LeBrun later added after speaking to Bowman that the Oilers “have been thinking about an upgrade in goal ever since Skinner was pulled in the SCF last year, they’ve been tracking Jarry’s play the entire season.”

Despite the negative reactions, the reality is the Oilers couldn’t go with the status quo again in net. Edmonton had an .888 save percentage last postseason and no team has won a Stanley Cup in the cap era with anything worse than .902.

A change of scenery might be what’s necessary for Skinner, especially after months of harsh critics and tough performances. He has an 11-8-4 record this season with a .891 save percentage and a 2.83 goals-against average. He has helped the Oilers on their way to two consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final, but the team ultimately fell short against the Florida Panthers in each of the past two years.

Skinner is a pending unrestricted free agent, carrying a cap hit of $2.6 million on his expiring deal.

Jarry has been the subject of trade rumors for much of this season, and now the trigger has been pulled despite his off night on Thursday against the visiting Montreal Canadiens.

In 14 games so far this season with the Penguins, Jarry has posted a 9-2-1 record, a .909 save percentage, and a 2.66 goals-against average. With the team’s red hot start to the 2025-26 season, Jarry has been a significant reason why Pittsburgh remains in playoff contention for the first time in three years.