![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/skinner-e1775792914791.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The New York Rangers must target this impending UFA goalie should goalie Jonathan Quick retire at the end of the current season.<\/p>\n
The New York<\/a> Rangers will have plenty on their plate this offseason. After the organization declared its intentions on a retool, changes will be forthcoming once Game 82 ends.<\/p>\n One of the changes that could very well take place is in the crease. No, it doesn\u2019t seem like Igor Shesterkin is going anywhere. But a need could emerge behind the Rangers\u2019 number one goalie.<\/p>\n The Blueshirts could be in the market for another goalie should Jonathan Quick retire. The 40-year-old signed a one-year deal ahead of this season. While he hasn\u2019t openly hinted about retiring, there\u2019s a good chance he might hang them up for good.<\/p>\n If he does, the Rangers<\/a> will need someone to pair with Shesterkin. And who better to tandem with Shesterkin than Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Stuart Skinner?<\/p>\n Skinner, as fans may remember, was in the eye of the storm during his tenure with the Edmonton Oilers. The 27-year-old was part of the trade that sent Tristan Jarry to Edmonton. Since arriving in Pittsburgh, Skinner has quietly put together a solid season.<\/p>\n While Skinner hasn\u2019t been spectacular, he\u2019s been a key member of the Penguins\u2019 squad this season. He\u2019ll also be a UFA this summer.<\/p>\n Skinner\u2019s current-three-year deal will expire at the end of the season. It might seem like remaining in Pittsburgh might be Skinner\u2019s best bet. But if the Rangers came calling, the opportunity to star on Broadway may be too much to pass up.<\/p>\n Skinner Would Be Shesterkin\u2019s Backup<\/p>\n Make no mistake about it. Skinner would be the backup to Shesterkin. The Russian goalie would get the lion\u2019s share of starts. But as Rangers fans saw this season, injuries can happen. And it was the injury to Shesterkin in early January that sent the Blueshirts\u2019 season off the rails.<\/p>\n Quick came into the starting role in Shesterkin\u2019s absence. But he just couldn\u2019t hold the fort. That\u2019s why a goalie like Skinner could come in and provide stability if Shesterkin should even go down with injury again.<\/p>\n The only issue would be if Skinner were amenable to being a backup. Considering his career trajectory, there may not be very many starting roles available to him. So, heading to New York could become a good opportunity to buy himself one more shot at becoming a full-time starter.<\/p>\n What to read next: NY Rangers Should Kick Tires on this Free Agent Center<\/a><\/p>\n Rangers Would Have to Pay Much for Skinner<\/p>\n Skinner is coming off a $2.6 million cap hit<\/a>. He hasn\u2019t done enough since signing his expiring contract to warrant a hefty raise. As such, it wouldn\u2019t cost the Rangers much to sign him.<\/p>\n If anything, Skinner, as a backup, could be willing to take a one or two-year show-me deal. That type of contract would aim to prove he is still an NHL-caliber goalie.<\/p>\n In fact, being in a lower-pressure role could be just what he needs to prove he\u2019s worthy of getting another shot elsewhere. Since Sheskterkin is unlikely to go anywhere, Skinner\u2019s only true role could be as a backup.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why a cap hit around $2.5 million on, say, a one-year deal, wouldn\u2019t be the craziest idea in the world.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tNestor Quixtan<\/a> Seasoned NHL analyst and baseball writer focused on covering clubs across each league with news, analysis, and insights. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Nestor’s singular experiences and background have enabled him to bring a different take on the sports world as a whole. Nestor’s fondness for baseball and hockey set the tone for his love and passion for writing about sports. More about Nestor Quixtan<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on NY Rangers\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty The New York Rangers must target this impending UFA goalie should goalie Jonathan Quick retire at the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":549242,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5111],"tags":[5,3328,35,5190,5193,4,36],"class_list":{"0":"post-549241","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york-rangers","8":"tag-hockey","9":"tag-new-york","10":"tag-new-york-rangers","11":"tag-newyork","12":"tag-newyorkrangers","13":"tag-nhl","14":"tag-rangers"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116378407056187463","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/549241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=549241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/549241\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/549242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=549241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=549241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=549241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}