Will the third time be the charm? Or has Stuart Skinner already run out of chances?
Like every NHL team, the Edmonton Oilers open training camp with questions. But unlike the other 31, their questions carry the bitter aftertaste of back-to-back losses in the Stanley Cup Final.
So when talk turns to positional battles, line combinations, who’s in and who’s out … it all gets funneled through one lens: will this finally get us over the top?
And in Edmonton, no position draws more scrutiny than the crease.
Fair or not, goaltending has soaked much of the blame for the Oilers’ inability to finish the job. Skinner, the hometown product, has been at the center of it. Behind him lie 91 regular-season wins and 26 playoff victories over the past three years, but what lingers most are the losses—and the hooks—against the Florida Panthers in June.
Now, as Skinner heads into the final year of his three-year deal, there’s a flicker of optimism around him: a new goalie coach in Peter Aubry, a leaner frame, and quiet hope in the room that this time the postseason might be different.
But did breaking news out of Utah just complicate that picture?
Utah Putting Connor Ingram on Waivers Raises Possibility for Trade to Edmonton
Wednesday morning, Utah Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong told reporters that goaltender Connor Ingram would be placed on waivers, with the intent of finding him a new NHL home. Feels like a simple transaction on paper, but it taps into a deeper story of resilience, struggle, and hope.
On the ice, Ingram has shown flashes of steadiness and athleticism, first with Nashville, then the Arizona Coyotes before the franchise moved to Utah. But off the ice, his journey has been harder.
In March 2025, Ingram entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program for the second time in his career, stepping away from hockey to focus on his mental health after losing his mother to breast cancer and acknowledging he wasn’t “himself.” The league later confirmed that Ingram was cleared by the program and eligible to return to NHL play.
That he came out of the program and can play again is a sign of personal strength — and perhaps a fresh lease on life. For Ingram, a new setting might be just what he needs for a reset.
In that sense, his story parallels Skinner’s. Both goalies carry talent. Both carry burdens. Both may need a change of scenery to fully reframe their careers.
Swap of Connor Ingram for Stuart Skinner Would Give Both Goalies a Clean Slate
Pre-camp reports out of Edmonton highlight Skinner’s transformation this summer. He’s come to camp noticeably leaner and quicker — a physical adjustment that has sparked talk about a shift in mobility and rebound control that could pay dividends in high-stakes playoff moments.
The hiring of Aubry as goalie coach has also been cited as a potentially stabilizing force, providing new structure and trust. Mark Spector of Sportsnet went even further, making the bold prediction that Skinner is poised for “the best season of his NHL career.” It’s an endorsement that carries a challenge — can Edmonton’s No. 1 finally quiet the chaos and deliver under pressure?
For now, the Oilers are talking about belief, process, and readiness to back Skinner. But underneath it all remains the unspoken question: if this season ends the same way the last two have, how many more cracks will there be in Edmonton’s crease? And how long until fans and management stop believing the narrative and start demanding action?
So here’s the proposition: maybe it’s time for both goalies — and both organizations — to turn the page.
Ingram needs a fresh start; Skinner might, too. The idea of swapping Ingram for Skinner isn’t just about moving parts. It’s about resetting expectations, resetting pressure, and resetting opportunity.
For Edmonton, it could mean letting go of the legacy Skinner no longer needs to carry. For Ingram, it could mean a chance to write a new chapter, free from the shadows he’s been navigating. It’s a gamble. But after two straight finals losses, maybe the risk is worth it.
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