NHL News: Stuart Skinner puts Connor McDavid, Oilers on blast with blunt comment amid early season struggles in Edmonton

Stuart Skinner, Connor McDavid, and the Edmonton Oilers are coming off one of the worst losses in franchise history. Following the 9-1 defeat to the Colorado Avalanche, the netminder in The Gateway to the North voiced a straightforward message about the team’s mission in the NHL.

It didn’t take long for Skinner to find himself in the eye of the storm in the 2025-26 NHL season. History has a way of repeating itself, and the starting goalie in Edmonton has definitely learned that lesson. Still, after being pulled from the game against the Avalanche, there was nothing he could do to cancel out the noise.

Speaking on his performance so far in the NHL campaign, Skinner steered away from his numbers. Instead, the experienced netminder aimed at McDavid and the rest of the team, dropping a concise admission.

“Its not about my save percentage. Its about my win column…the team’s win column,” Stuart Skinner stated, as reported by Sportsnet’s Gene Principe on X (formerly Twitter).

Connor McDavid at Madison Square Garden on October 14, 2025 in New York City.

Puzzled

Skinner remains a key piece of the puzzle in Edmonton. However, the goaltender has often shown different forms, and Oilers fans never seem to know which version of him they’ll get night in and night out. Against the Avalanche, Skinner didn’t make it past the second period—Kris Knoblauch pulled him after he conceded four goals on 13 shots.

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As a result, Skinner finished the game with a .692 save percentage, which dragged his season average even lower (.889), along with a 2.81 goals-against average. Skinner is tied for the fifth-worst save percentage among starting goaltenders—netminders with 10 or more starts so far this NHL season.

Clock’s ticking

Coming into the campaign, much was speculated around Edmonton’s starting goaltender. Though early in the season, the signs are far from encouraging so far. If the current trend in net extends deeper into the year, it might be safe to assume the Oilers will explore the market for a goalie.