NHL analyst brutally hammers 'horrendous' Stuart Skinner as Oilers face 3rd straight loss - "Can't be a starter in the NHL" 

The Edmonton Oilers’ rocky start to the 2025-26 season has intensified scrutiny on goaltender Stuart Skinner. The Oilers, now 9-9-5 and in the bottom half of the Pacific Division, continue to mix strong offensive outings with costly breakdowns. Their potent power play and star-driven scoring haven’t been enough to mask inconsistency in their own zone.

The criticism of Skinner reached a boiling point during a fiery TSN OverDrive segment on Thursday. Host Bryan Hayes didn’t hold back as he dissected Edmonton’s slow start and Skinner’s inconsistency between the pipes.

Hayes delivered the harshest assessment, calling out what he described as the team’s most “obvious issue.”

"Guys, I hate to break it to you, but ... we're allowed to point out the obvious issue, the goalie is horrendous," Hayes said. [2:52 onwards] "Stuart Skinner should not be playing like he cannot be a starter in the National Hockey League. It's not a debate anymore. "The stats would indicate that they're dead last in the league, and everything across the board that matters. They're dead last, yes, and same percentage and everything you know, like, yes, do they give up chances? Absolutely. And they got to clean that out."

Hayes cited the Oilers’ league-worst defensive metrics and Skinner’s inability to elevate his game amid breakdowns in front of him.

"Stuart Skinner just can’t do it. He can’t do it right now," Hayes said, adding that this falls partly on GM Stan Bowman. "It’s a miracle they made it to Cup Final after Cup Final… Not doing it a third time."

Skinner’s numbers this season add fuel to the panel’s frustration. The 27-year-old holds a 7-6-3 record with a 3.00 goals-against average and an .882 save percentage. He is near the bottom among NHL starters.

While Skinner has shown flashes, posting a .918 save rate in wins, his struggles in losses and difficulty delivering crucial saves have magnified Edmonton’s defensive lapses.

Oilers lost to Tampa Bay without Stuart Skinner in net

The Oilers lost 2-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning with Stuart Skinner not in the net, and the team again showed its issues behind its starter. Calvin Pickard played well and made 33 saves (one of his best games this season), but he still could not help Edmonton secure a win.

The Oilers have now dropped three straight games. Even with a solid effort, the Oilers could not finish the job, highlighting their continued struggles even when Skinner is not starting.

Skinner’s past success, back-to-back seasons guiding the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final, and taking the series to game 7 in the 2024 playoffs, show he can perform at a high level. But as Edmonton battles through another turbulent stretch, questions about his reliability are growing louder than ever.

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Edited by Ankit Kumar