Oilers need Stuart Skinner to step up during the playoffs

With just a few days between now and the opening day of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, many in Northern Alberta are wondering what their team will do between the pipes for Game 1.

The Edmonton Oilers are gearing up for a first-round meeting with the Los Angeles Kings, though the Kings will have home-ice advantage this time around. However, many are wondering if Stuart Skinner will be the starting netminder, or will Calvin Pickard, who has been playing well as of late while Skinner has been recovering from injury.

Outside of a few games, Skinner was the Oilers’ No. 1 guy on their way to the Stanley Cup Final, coming within a win of taking home Lord Stanley. He certainly had some struggles, leading to Pickard playing a few games during the postseason, but Skinner rebounded to play some big games in the Western Conference Final and Cup Final.

On Tuesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, former Oiler netminder Devan Dubnyk joined Tyler Yaremchuk and Frank Seravalli to discuss why he believes Skinner is the guy for Edmonton.

Devan Dubnyk: You got to go with Skinner. We talked so much about this, and Calvin Pickard has done an incredible job. He’s a great teammate that everybody loves, but in all honesty, if you’re Edmonton – you’re trying to win a Stanley Cup – you have to play Stuart Skinner. Calvin Pickard’s just not going to take you to the Stanley Cup final. It’s nothing against him. It’s just the way it is, and that ceiling is just not there. … He’s stepped up every time he’s needed to. He stepped up last year when he needed to in the playoffs. There might come a time in playoffs where they’re going to need a game or two out of him, but to me, if you want to win the Stanley Cup as the Edmonton Oilers, Stuart Skinner is your only option.

You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…