Stuart Skinner was mocked, taunted, and slammed by fans and analysts in the early stages of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. But now, he’s looking like a completely different goalie. After another brilliant display on Sunday, all-time great Martin Brodeur has shared his thoughts on the Edmonton Oilers netminder.
At one point during this year’s playoffs, Skinner had the worst numbers of any goalie who saw action. He held a 0–3 record, while his backup went 6–0. But when Calvin Pickard was sidelined with an injury, Skinner returned to the net—and he’s looked like a new man since.
He posted a shutout in Game 2 of the Conference Finals against the Dallas Stars and was outstanding again in Game 3 on Sunday. Skinner made 33 saves in the 6–1 win, including 20 saves in the second period alone. He has now won four games this postseason, with a staggering 0.24 GAA and a .991 save percentage in those victories. Remarkably, three of those wins have been shutouts.
Stuart Skinner praised
Now, Skinner is getting high praise from one of the greatest to ever do it: Martin Brodeur.
“In wins, he’s been great. It’s a grind for goalies in the playoffs,” Brodeur told The Athletic.
“The reset really helped him out. Finally found his groove now. It’s amazing how people are critical of goalies in the conference finals. It’s quite an achievement to get there; only four guys still standing after all.”
In the same piece, Skinner also received praise from another legend, Grant Fuhr, a cult hero for the Edmonton Oilers:
“I do think he has steadied things down. It looks a lot like last year, where he had some tough games but was very resilient and bounced back.”
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