Stuart Skinner Has Walked Into a Very Interesting Jets Situation

Some hockey situations involve a player joining a new team, and everyone talks about what he might accomplish. Then there are situations where you look around and think, “Well, this is going to be interesting.” Stuart Skinner has walked into one of those.

Skinner will start tonight’s preseason game for the Jets.

Skinner is scheduled to start tonight for the Winnipeg Jets, and something about seeing him in a Jets uniform feels bigger than a preseason game. He signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract this summer, and suddenly he could find himself in a much bigger role than simply being the new guy in the crease.

Connor Hellebuyck’s situation is still hanging over Winnipeg. The Jets suspended him amid his reported trade request, and until that situation is resolved, a giant question mark remains in the organization. And that makes Skinner pretty important.

There is no point pretending he'll walk into Winnipeg and simply become Hellebuyck. That's not how this works. Hellebuyck has been one of the league's established goaltenders for years.

Skinner doesn't have to be Hellebuyck. He just needs to be reliable.

Skinner just has to be the best version of Stuart Skinner. That may actually be the interesting part of this whole thing. Skinner has faced plenty of criticism during his time with Edmonton, and some of it was deserved. Last season, between Edmonton and Pittsburgh, he went 23-17-9 with a 2.92 goals-against average and an .888 save percentage.

Those aren't numbers anybody is going to put on a poster. But goaltending is funny. Sometimes a goalie gets into a situation where everything seems to go wrong at once. Then he changes teams, changes surroundings and gets another chance to settle into his game. That's what I'm hoping happens here.

The Jets need stability. They need somebody who can walk into the room every day and say, “I've got this.” Skinner might have a chance to become that guy.

If the Jets and Hellebuyck actually go their separate ways, Skinner’s success will matter.

And here's the other thing. If Hellebuyck's situation really is headed toward a breakup, Winnipeg isn't just looking for a goaltender. They're looking for somebody who can help everybody else stop looking over their shoulder. That's a different kind of pressure.

I'm rooting for Skinner. I hope he has a terrific season in Winnipeg. Maybe this isn't the perfect situation for him. But maybe it's exactly the chance he needs.