The Edmonton Oilers traded Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and a second-rounder to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Tristan Jarry and Sam Poulin. Fans were quick to point out similarities between Skinner and Jarry.
The Edmonton Oilers made a bold decision on Friday to address their goaltending.
Sitting in the first wild-card spot in the West and sporting the NHL's second-worst team save percentage, Edmonton sent away starting netminder Stuart Skinner to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for their No. 1 goalie, Tristan Jarry.
Edmonton also received right winger Sam Poulin, while the Penguins acquired defenseman Brett Kulak and a second-round draft pick in 2029.
The Oilers gave Skinner and Calvin Pickard just over two months to justify the team's decision to keep them following a second straight Cup final loss, in which both netminders had an .889 save percentage or worse last post-season.
Judging by the trade, they did not prove GM Stan Bowman right.
Now, one-half of the tandem goes to Pittsburgh in exchange for a netminder who's had a bounce-back season after playing in the AHL on two separate occasions last year.
And hockey fans have lots to say about the deal online.
"Was really hoping Stu would stick around as a backup tendy. (I don't know) if this is the answer we were looking for," @ItsBlarg wrote on X.
"Unreal. Great move by Dubas. #LetsGoPens," wrote @PensCollective.
"I wish Kulak and Skinner all the best," @CaptCaveman3791 wrote. "Welcome back to the city of champs Tristan and here's hoping that you make the big and timely saves when needed. No pressure lol go Oilers."
Jarry, 30, played four seasons for the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings before graduating to professional hockey. Pittsburgh's second-round pick in the 2013 NHL draft became the team's starter in the shortened 2020-21 season, backstopping them to the playoffs that year but losing 4-2 in the first round.
This season, Jarry has a 2.66 goals-against average, .909 save percentage, one shutout and a 9-3-1 record. Skinner, in comparison, has a 2.83 GAA, .891 SP, two shutouts and an 11-8-4 record.
Last season, both teams dealt with goaltending challenges.
Jarry started last year with a 5.47 GAA and .836 SP in three games. The Penguins called up Joel Blomqvist and assigned Jarry to the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on a conditioning stint. After returning to the NHL, he recorded a .893 SP and 3.05 GAA in 19 games, and the team sent him through waivers unclaimed to return to the AHL. He ended up with a 3.12 GAA and .893 SP in 36 NHL games.
Edmonton, meanwhile, had to swap out Skinner for Pickard to turn around their first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings, then returned to Skinner after Pickard suffered an injury in the second round. During the season, Skinner had an .896 SP and 2.81 GAA.
"Terrible trade. Skinner should never be moved unless for a clear upgrade," @AlanPatrick448 posted to X. "Jarry working with him (in a) tandem is fine but this is so risky. I wouldn't trade Skinner one for one for Jarry let alone the pick and Kulak."
"I really thought Stuart Skinner was gonna be the one to lead the Oilers to the (promised) land," @OilersAdam posted. "He gave us glimmers of hope and I'll never forget that. An awesome dude who I wish nothing but the best. Hope he succeeds with Pittsburgh."
Fans of other teams got in on the reactions as well.
" 'Goodbye Paris, hello France' type trade," wrote @NathanMacDaddy.
"Oilers gonna find out really fast that it's not gonna matter who's between the pipes with the way that team plays defense and who’s on their back end," wrote Flames and Jets fan @GameDayDataBets.
The Oilers and Penguins are in wild-card spots at the time of the trade on Friday. The Penguins, however, are tied in points with the Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils, which sit outside of a playoff spot.
Edmonton also acquired defenseman Spencer Stastney from the Nashville Predators as a replacement for Kulak with a lower cap hit. They now have about $934,000 in cap space, while the Penguins are at nearly $14 million in space.
This trade ultimately provides a shakeup to the Oilers' netminding in hopes Jarry can be the hotter hand over the next few years.
It's a change of scenery for Skinner, who became the scapegoat in Edmonton despite having glimpses of elite play among a stretch of inconsistency.
And Pittsburgh can either try to keep Skinner for the long term or let him hit free agency after this season and decide between Arturs Silovs, Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist for their tandem of the future.
All that's left now is to let the games begin and see who wins this trade by the end of the season.
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