“Each one has been really solid for us,” remarked Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch ahead of Game 5, praising both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard while expressing confidence in the tandem his star goaltenders could form. However, their recent performances in the Stanley Cup Finals have painted a mixed picture, marred by a bit of a ‘back-and-forth’ display.
Now we all know that as the playoffs end, teams start thinking about their next season, with the Oilers being no exception. Not to mention a consecutive two-year loss in the Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers, and boy, they must be desperate already for bolstering their ranks to make another bid for the Championship. And what better time would there be to discuss their goalie situation? Then again, this brings up a very surprising revelation!
According to the reports from journalist Elliotte Friedman on SN 590, and as compiled by the NHL Rumour Report on X, the Edmonton Oilers were pondering a potential move for the Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson on deadline day, back in March. However, Gibson wasn’t too keen on the idea of splitting time in the net with Stuart Skinner. Who would have thought that the Ducks’ award-winning goalie rejected the Oilers because of a potential conflict with Skinner?
Elliotte Friedman: There’s debate about how much Edmonton looked at Ducks’ John Gibson at the deadline; Gibson wasn’t crazy about idea of sharing a crease with Stuart Skinner – SN 590
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) June 19, 2025
It’s not too farfetched considering there already have been some rumors about Gibson leaving the Anaheim-based hockey team. Not to mention that there are still two years remaining on his contract with a $6.4M cap hit. This has been a primary reason why the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, native hasn’t been able to materialize a switch.
Having been a part of the Ducks since 2013, the last season saw the 31-year-old make 15.3 saves, a number which isn’t just merely above expectations, especially compared to his young heir Lukáš Dostál, who finished the season with a record of 23-23-7. Now if the club’s General manager Pat Verbeek sees veteran stars like Gibson as a support system for younger talent, they won’t seem open to letting go of the American.
Then again, it would be interesting to see whether the Edmonton Oilers would still consider John Gibson, especially after his alleged conflict of interest with their current starter Skinner. But one might say that the recent Stanley Cup runner-ups’ bubble finally seems to have burst after all!
Will Edmonton Oilers be forced to decide over Stuart Skinner after all?
Last month, General Manager Stan Bowman made it clear enough that he fully supports the club’s goaltending duo of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. Even though fans echoed that the club should take over the goalie situation, Bowman was blunt enough to admit they won’t consider a potential trade for a goalie.
“At the end of the day, the players decide this, right? It’s the guys that are on the ice, and they have confidence in the guys we have, both in Pickard and Skinner,” Bowman said. “I think when you have a belief from your team that they’re going to get the job done for you, then you don’t have to focus on that exclusively.”
Credits: Instagram/Edmonton Oilers
Bowman even insisted that not every team needs a top-10 goalie to win games, insisting the Oilers also don’t follow one-style gameplay. While it seems clear that the GM isn’t keen to discuss the goalie situation further, he might be forced to do so. Considering that Skinner, who played badly during the first two playoff games, eventually being forced off the ice to be replaced with Calvin Pickard instead, who won 6 games in a row.
Though Stuart Skinner did good against the Dallas Stars, with even Mikko Rantanen calling him a “difference-maker” and “MVP of the game”, the veteran was still lacking in Game 4 again after conceding three goals within the first period, let alone disappointing in the finals again. Yet, this logic still doesn’t give even Pickard any advantage.
Apparently, both goalies, who have just a year remaining on their contracts with relatively low cap hits—$2.6 million and $1 million, respectively—have failed to garner a save percentage above .900, even after getting their deserved chances to start in the playoffs. Hearing this, Bowman might be forced to eat his own words about the team not needing to acquire a new goalie at the trade deadline.
Nevertheless, even if it clearly indicates that the Edmonton Oilers should strengthen this position, they’re restricted by limited cap space, a thin free-agent goalie market, and a shortage of tradeable assets. So it would be interesting to see what the future holds for them.
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