NASHVILLE — It’s strange to say it happened fast given that Stuart Skinner waited his whole life for this, but it really happened fast.
Just three months ago he was an unproven 23-year-old kid hoping to show the Edmonton Oilers he could hack it as a backup goalie in this league.
Now he’s their starter, having shown enough in his short time here that the Oilers are comfortable offering a three-year contract extension worth $7.8 million.
“It’s something that makes you really excited about the future,” said Skinner, who’ll earn $2.6 million a season when the contract kicks in next year.
“It’s very, very cool. Usually, it means you’re doing something right. It’s nice to hear that somebody wants you to be there for a long period of time. That I get to be here for another three years is very, very cool.”
Skinner, who’s the deal of the century at $750,000 this season, has been everything Oilers management hoped for, and more.
A lot more. With Jack Campbell a long way away from peak form, Skinner has pretty much stepped in and saved the season. If he isn’t playing the way he is (.915 save percentage and .283 goals against average on a team that’s mediocre defensively), the Oilers are doomed.
This isn’t the first time the Oilers jumped quickly on re-upping a hot goalie. But, unlike Mikko Koskinen’s albatross of a contract in 2019 ($13.5 million over three years with a no-movement clause at 31 years of age), this one is much more reasonable and seems more grounded in reality.
Skinner’s numbers remain consistent (he was 2.62 and .913 in 13 games with the Oilers last year, as well as 2.21 and .920 in Bakersfield) and at 24 there is still plenty of upside.
“At the same time there is so much work for me to keep doing,” he said. “I have a lot of growth to improve on and that’s what I’m going to be here doing for the next three years, keep on growing my game.”
It’s no wonder the negotiations went so quickly (roughly three weeks from first phone call to pen on paper) and smoothly. Skinner wants to be an Oiler and the Oilers need a goalie.
It’s a position Edmonton has struggled with for years and years. Unable to draft and develop their own starters, they’ve tried with only lukewarm success to bring in help from the outside. Aging Mike Smith held down the fort at a reasonable level over the previous couple of years, when his body allowed, and now Campbell is struggling.
So, if a 24-year-old local kid who’s been putting up good numbers since Junior is ready to sign at a very reasonable number, it makes sense.
“It was just good timing for both of us,” said Skinner, who was drafted by the Oilers in the third round of 2017. “When somebody wants to sign you to an extended contract it’s very exciting. It’s one of those things you’ve been waiting for your whole life so I’m happy that I’m able to be here for the next three years.
“I learned in my first year pro, guys would say that things can really change quickly. You can be in the Coast (East Coast League) one year and the next you’re in the American League and the next you’re in the NHL. Things happen quick.”
This is a pretty solid deal for the Oilers if Skinner keeps playing the way he has, and especially if he improves. It makes you wonder if Skinner could have driven the price a lot higher if he dug in his heels and waited.
“It’s hard to say,” he said. “I was talking to my agent. He’s obviously very experienced with that and I’m not. That’s his job and he knows what he’s doing. I’m putting my trust in him.
“There is always a chance for everyone to make more money and play better but at the same time we have a job to do and our main goal is to win a Stanley Cup.”
And, at his young age, there is still plenty of time to cash in on a big-time contract. If things keep trending the way they are, he’ll be in that position three years from now. In the meantime, this is pretty solid affirmation and peace of mind for a kid who grew up watching the Oilers.
As an Edmonton-born kid who’s been picturing himself in this position for as long as he can remember, this is pinch-yourself territory.
“Definitely. It gives you another three years where I get to live at home. I get to live where I grew up. I get to play for the Oilers, which is team I always wanted to play for, that I grew up watching and idolizing. It’s very, very special that I get to sign another three years with the Oilers. I’m extremely grateful.”
E-mail: rtychkowski@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @Rob_Tychkowski
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