Stuart Skinner shares ‘bittersweet’ emotions after ex-teammate Leon Draisaitl scores 1,000th point on him

Stuart Skinner experienced a tough and emotional debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. The game came against his former team, the Edmonton Oilers, which resulted in a 6-4 loss. The highlight of the night was Leon Draisaitl scoring his 1,000th career point. For Skinner, the moment carried mixed feelings.

Speaking after the game, Stuart Skinner called the moment bittersweet and mentioned that he was proud of Draisaitl’s achievement.

"Yeah, bittersweet," Skinner said. "I mean, obviously, I was his teammate for a long time, and whenever anybody gets 1000 points, it's you're going to congratulate them, but I would have rather it not be on me. But obviously, there is a great player. He makes things happen every single night. So congratulations to him."

Draisaitl reached the milestone and recorded four assists, becoming the fourth-fastest active player to reach 1,000 points. He is also the first German-born player to hit the mark. The Oilers’ bench celebrated after the milestone assist.

Connor McDavid played a major role as well. He scored twice and added two assists in the win, recording 20 points in his last seven games. Evan Bouchard and Zach Hyman added power-play goals, and the Oilers have now won six of their last nine games.

Stuart Skinner on playing for Penguins and loss in debut

Stuart Skinner allowed five goals in the loss, but the score told only part of the story. Edmonton controlled play for long stretches, and the Oilers created traffic and high-danger looks all night. Skinner faced steady pressure with little help in front.

Skinner was traded last Friday, along with Brett Kulak and a draft pick from the Oilers, to the Penguins. Pittsburgh sent Jarry and Samuel Poulin to Edmonton.

"It was definitely different,” Skinner said about playing for the Penguins and the loss. "Super weird, like, taking a nap and thinking that I'm playing the old team. ... Obviously, not the way that I wanted to start. I think I definitely could have helped these guys out on a few goals."

Skinner and Tristan Jarry faced each other just days after that trade. Jarry made 26 saves for Edmonton, and Skinner stopped 17 shots in his Penguins debut.

This season, Stuart Skinner holds an 11-9-4 record with a 2.93 goals-against average. His save percentage sits at .887. He has recorded two shutouts, and consistency remains the focus as he adjusts to Pittsburgh.

Skinner is expected to share starts with Arturs Silovs. Despite the rough start, the Penguins view this as a long-term adjustment phase.

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Edited by Ankit Kumar