Stuart Skinner Might Be Ready for His Breakout Season

I was really happy to see Stuart Skinner get this one. The Winnipeg Jets beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Sunday, and Skinner stopped 33 of 35 shots. That's a pretty good way to earn your first win with a new team.

But I'll admit something. I'm probably happier for Skinner than I am interested in the numbers. I've written about him before, and I've always thought there was a good goalie in there. Maybe a really good one. But being an NHL goalie isn't easy. Especially in Edmonton, where every goal against can become a referendum on whether you should be there.

Now Skinner gets a fresh start in Winnipeg. And maybe that's exactly what he needed.

Sometimes, this is what an NHL goalie needs.

Skinner didn't have an easy night against Detroit. Thirty-five shots is a lot of rubber coming his way. He gave up two goals, including one on the penalty kill, and the Jets won. That's the kind of game a goalie remembers. Not because it was perfect. But because he made the saves his team needed. And there is something to be said for that.

Skinner is 27 now. He's not some kid trying to figure out what the NHL is all about. He's played a lot of hockey. He's been through some really good stretches and some pretty difficult ones. But he’s never had a calm season. Maybe this is the season it all starts to settle down for him.

A fresh start can do funny things for a goalie.

This is the part I find interesting. Sometimes a player doesn't need a complete reinvention. He needs a different situation. A different room. Different expectations. A different voice in his ear. Maybe just the feeling that people believe in him.

With Connor Hellebuyck suspended and his future with the Jets uncertain, Skinner has an opportunity in Winnipeg that he probably couldn't have counted on a few months ago. He's going to get chances. Now he has to take them.

And after Sunday's game, I'm wondering if we might be watching the beginning of something. I'm not predicting a Vezina Trophy. I'm not predicting some ridiculous .930 save percentage. I'm just hoping. I really am.

Skinner is a class act who was moved from a team he wanted to stay with.

Because I like seeing players get another chance. And I've always liked Stuart Skinner. Maybe this is the breakout season we've been waiting for. And maybe, just maybe, it will be a pretty good season for the Jets, too.