\u2014 Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n To many a pessimist or armchair goaltending coach, at least one of those goals will seem out of reach. That would be his Team Canada bid. However, as is the case with several things in life, the case isn\u2019t so black-and-white. There\u2019s still a chance Skinner can crack the 2026 Olympic roster. The following is what has to be done to achieve that goal.<\/p>\n No sluggish starts to the regular season<\/p>\n Each of the past three seasons, the Oilers have started off the new season on the wrong foot. One of those seasons, the start was so abysmal it got Jay Woodcroft fired just 13 games into the season. Skinner actually helped save the 2022\u201323 campaign from going off the rails, but it\u2019s reasonable to say he did not aid in fixing things<\/a> right away in 2023\u201324 or 2024\u201325.<\/p>\n The Team Canada rosters get solidified pretty early in the season, so if Skinner has his sights set on the Olympics, he has to do his part in helping Edmonton get off to a solid jump. Team Canada didn\u2019t add him on the 4 Nations roster largely due to the .872 he sported early on last year. If, say, he puts up a .915 or .920 to start 2025\u201326, he may well force the national team\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n Stuart Skinner this season:<\/p>\n \u2014 2-4-1 record Is Skinner going to stay McDavid’s goalie for his prime? pic.twitter.com\/hN61Ek3DC7<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Big Head Hockey (@BigHeadHcky) October 29, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n All he has to do is show them Good Stu through the beginning quarter of the season. Good Stu can steal games and provide defensive calm to a team. Bad Stu results in Team Canada finding three other starting NHL goalies for their crew.<\/p>\n Continue to outduel the star goaltenders<\/p>\n One of the wondrous things about Skinner is he, as an Edmonton kid, is like the city of Edmonton itself. If you put Edmonton as a city, up against Toronto as a city, the pundits are always favouring Toronto. Yet, in some categories and situations, Edmonton can pull ahead of the much larger compatriot to the East.<\/p>\n Two years in a row, the Oilers have faced the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final. Both times, Stars netminder Jake Oettinger has been favoured to outduel #74 at the other end. Both times, Skinner has played some of his finest hockey in Round 3<\/a> and won the goalie battle<\/a>.<\/p>\n Should Skinner be able to take on some of the better goalies in the league and win decisively, it will be a major boost for his reputation. In the Olympics, you\u2019re gonna be facing the likes of Juuse Saros and Connor Hellebuyck. Outdueling the star \u2018keepers early on will be imperative.<\/p>\n Some of the names the Oilers will likely face in October alone include Thatcher Demko, Dustin Wolf, Igor Shesterkin, and Ilya Sorokin. The chances will be there for Skinner to face off against the league\u2019s elite. Make the most of them, and you might make the cut for Team Canada.<\/p>\n Other Team Canada candidates\u2019 stocks will have to decline<\/p>\n The Canadian goalies to go to the 4 Nations tourney last year were Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, and Sam Montembault. All three earned those spots with solid play throughout the 2024\u201325 season. Binnington and Montembault helped their respective mid-tier franchises reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs following misses the two years prior. Hill led the Golden Knights to another Pacific Division crown. Logan Thompson didn\u2019t make the cut for other reasons, but he helped the Washington Capitals win the Metropolitan Division.<\/p>\n At least two of those netminders will have to stumble, for Skinner to steal an Olympic spot. The good news is that both Thompson and Hill were subpar in Round 2 of the playoffs last year. Hill especially did not find form until Game 5 against Edmonton. By that point, Skinner himself was en route to winning that goalie duel<\/a> via consecutive shutouts.<\/p>\n Skinner, of course, could be designated as an injury replacement for the Olympics. But to actually earn a spot outright is more difficult. If Thompson and Hill can\u2019t regain their form from last season, or if Binnington or Montembault underwhelm, their standing may well decrease. And if Skinner\u2019s own stock has increased, that would give him a path to Milan-Cortina.<\/p>\n Photo by Derek Cain\/Icon Sportswire<\/p>\n \t\t\tLike this:<\/p>\n Like Loading…<\/p>\n
\u2014 156\/179 shots saved
\u2014 .872 save percentage
\u2014 3.39 more goals allowed than expected<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1000003713.png\")
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