NHL training camp is just a couple of weeks away, and Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner already has his eyes set on what he wants to accomplish in this upcoming season.
After falling in the Stanley Cup final for a second straight year, the 26-year-old netminder is ready to reach new heights in his fourth full NHL season.
“I want to set the bar high,” Skinner told reporters after Edmonton’s informal skate on Thursday. “I want to go to the Olympics. I want to be a goalie for Team Canada.”
Skinner hasn’t suited up for Team Canada since 2015-16, when he played three games in the World Men's Under-18 Championship.
At the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Canadians chose the St. Louis Blues’ Jordan Binnington, Vegas Golden Knights’ Adin Hill and Montreal Canadiens’ Sam Montembeault as the goaltenders, although only Binnington played in that tournament. Those three were the only goalies on the men's side who attended Hockey Canada's Olympic orientation camp in late August.
Skinner will have lots of competition for a spot on Team Canada at the 2026 Olympics. He’ll have to outperform not only Binnington, Hill and Montembeault but also the Washington Capitals’ Logan Thompson, Colorado Avalanche’s Mackenzie Blackwood and Los Angeles Kings’ Darcy Kuemper, who could also force themselves into the mix.
Those six netminders had more wins and higher save percentages than Skinner did last season. All of them, except for Montembeault, also had a lower goals-against average than Skinner, who had a 26-18-4 record, .896 SP and 2.81 GAA.
However, Canada’s Olympic GM, Doug Armstrong, won’t have to pick his final roster until around the New Year.
That leaves plenty of time for Skinner to prove that he’s worth the call and ultimately achieve one of his goals for next season. Making it to the Stanley Cup final twice has also given him more experience in high-stakes hockey, which can be valuable in the Olympics.
Projecting Team Canada's 2026 Olympic RosterThe 2026 Olympic Winter Games aren’t all that far away, and with the elite NHL talent we’re going to see in the Games, hockey fans are in for a treat.
Speaking of Cup final experience, Skinner also mentioned getting back there for a third straight year and finally going one step further.
He reflected on last season and how the Oilers were able to go through another 82 regular-season contests and four playoff rounds. He believes he and his team can use those past experiences to fuel the start of next season and get back to where they want to be.
“I think everyone’s goal in the NHL, if you ask them, it’ll be to win the Stanley Cup… we’re definitely wanting to finish the job here,” Skinner said.
In last season’s playoffs, the Oilers' goaltender started 15 games, registering a 2.99 goals-against average, a .889 save percentage and a 7-7 record. He tied the Florida Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky for the most shutouts in the playoffs, with three, despite playing eight fewer games.
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