The time has come for Stuart Skinner to shine with the Edmonton Oilers.
Skinner, 23, is expected to be the team’s No. 2 goalie behind Jack Campbell this season.
“It feels great mentally,” he said at the Oilers’ training camp on Friday.
“I feel like it’s a big challenge in front of me, and I’m really excited for that challenge.”
After being drafted 78th overall in 2017, Skinner has had to work his way up to being a full-time NHLer. His junior career ended in 2018 with a WHL championship and Memorial Cup appearance with the Swift Current Broncos.
He later played in the ECHL and AHL before making his NHL debut on Jan. 31, 2021.
“I’ve got a lot of games in the American (Hockey) League and the ECHL,” Skinner explained. “I’ve kind of worked my way up.
“It’s been a grind. It’s taken a lot of hard work.”
Skinner won that first NHL game, his only appearance in the league that season. In 2021-22, he got into 13 games with the Oilers and went 6-6 with a .913 save percentage. After being one of the AHL’s top goalies the last two seasons, he’s eager to prove he belongs in the NHL.
“I’m going to do everything I can to see what I’m capable of in this league, to see how far I can go,” Skinner said.
“I’m going to work as hard as I possibly can to be the best goalie and the best teammate and person I can be.”
Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft also coached Skinner in Bakersfield. Woodcroft believes Skinner should feel confident about the upcoming season.
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“I’ve seen Stuart hit every developmental stage along the way to get this point,” the coach said. “He established himself as a legit starting goaltender in the American Hockey League.
“I saw him grow as a hockey goaltender. I saw him grow as a person over that time. It’s a credit to all the hard work he’s put in.”
The Oilers will continue training camp on Saturday with a scrimmage at 11 a.m. at Rogers Place. It’s open to the public as part of Fan Day.
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