Oilers’ Stuart Skinner could miss up to one week with undisclosed injury

The Edmonton Oilers will be without Stuart Skinner for the immediate future as he remains sidelined with an undisclosed injury, with Oilers reporter Tony Brar indicating that the starting goaltender could be out of the lineup for up to one week.

Facing the Dallas Stars on Wednesday, Skinner left the game early into the third period and did not return after getting bumped by Stars right winger Mikko Rantanen. Backup goaltender Calvin Pickard entered in place of Skinner, turning aside three shots in an eventual 4-3 regulation loss.

With Skinner sidelined, Pickard then got the call Thursday against the Pacific Division rival Seattle Kraken but was pulled after allowing five goals on 29 shots through two periods. Third string netminder Olivier Rodrigue then stepped between the pipes for the third period, stopping seven of eight shots in a 6-1 loss.

For Skinner, on the season the 26-year-old Edmonton native has put together a 24-18-4 record coupled with an .894 save percentage, 2.91 goals-against average, and two shutouts. Originally chosen by Edmonton in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft, Skinner has since played part of five seasons with the Oilers in which he has established a 96-54-14 career record alongside a .905 save percentage, 2.75 goals-against average, and six shutouts.

Following two straight losses, the Oilers will look to return to the win column Saturday versus the rival Calgary Flames, with Pickard tabbed to get the start in goal. On the season, the 32-year-old native of Moncton, N.B., has made 29 appearances in which he has come up with a 17-8-1 showing coupled with an .898 save percentage and 2.75 goals-against average. Now in his second season with the Oilers, Pickard wrapped up the 2023-24 campaign with a 12-7-1 record with a .909 save percentage, 2.45 goals-against average, and one shutout.