Top NHL insider deduces the "point of no return" when Oilers decided to part way with Stuart Skinner

The Edmonton Oilers traded Stuart Skinner to the Pittsburgh Penguins for goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin on December 12.

GM Stan Bowman described the move as needing “something different” in net, amid ongoing goaltending struggles and after back-to-back Stanley Cup Final losses.

NHL insider Pierre LeBrun recently shared his thoughts on the Oilers’ decision to trade goaltender Stuart Skinner, pinpointing a specific moment from the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, where Skinner was pulled multiple times in the series against the Panthers, as the “point of no return” for the organization’s confidence in their longtime starter.

Appearing on Oilers Now with host Bob Stauffer shortly after the trade, LeBrun stated:

"I think it's clear now if you look at really what Stan Bowman has said after the trade and from other conversations I've had—and you would know this, too—from the moment Stuart Skinner got pulled again in the Cup Final, that was the point of no return. However, it's hard to upgrade goaltending, and they couldn't get it done in the offseason because there aren't that many guys available that make sense in the cap and everything else."

He added:

"But clearly, the team was kind of like that in June. And then it becomes, "Well, who is it?" And I know that the Oilers and Penguins have had, in total, I believe, ten trade discussions between the summer to last Friday to finally get that deal done, when it comes to the Oilers asking again and again about Tristan Jarry."

Stuart Skinner was drafted No. 78 overall by the Oilers in the 2017 NHL draft. He spent six seasons with the Oilers before his trade to the Penguins.

Stuart Skinner suffers defeat at the hands of his former team in the Penguins' debut

Stuart Skinner’s Pittsburgh Penguins debut turned into a challenging night as the visiting Edmonton Oilers defeated the Penguins 6-4 on Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena. He faced 22 shots and allowed five goals.

On the flip side, Tristan Jarry earned the win in his return to Pittsburgh—his second victory in as many starts with the Oilers—stopping 26 of 30 shots. Jarry, who debuted for Edmonton on December 13 against Toronto, outdueled his trade counterpart.

Notably, this marked the first time in NHL history that two goalies traded for each other started against their former teams just days after the swap.