Stuart Skinner’s future with the Penguins hinges on whether Pittsburgh is willing to make a “long shot” trade involving Artūrs Silovs before July 1, when Skinner becomes an unrestricted free agent. In Pittsburgh, leadership is said to have enjoyed Skinner in t
Stuart Skinner doesn’t seem long for Pittsburgh, and the calendar is starting to tighten the screws.
Skinner. 27. spent most of the 2025-26 season with the Penguins and endured what was arguably the worst season of his career. If Pittsburgh is thinking about keeping him. it isn’t simply a matter of re-signing at the end of the year. The route to doing that runs through another move first—one that writer Josh Yohe described as a long shot.
Yohe wrote that “Goaltender Stuart Skinner, acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in last season’s Tristan Jarry trade, appears unlikely to return to the Penguins.” The reason is stark: it would “take a long shot — trading Artūrs Silovs — before July 1, when Skinner becomes an unrestricted free agent.”
The idea behind that gamble is straightforward. Yohe reported that if the Penguins dealt Silovs, they would be open to teaming Skinner with Sergei Murashov next season. The emotional pull of the move matters just as much as the cap-level math: Yohe added that “The Penguins loved having Skinner in the locker room.”.
But the on-ice side of the decision is where the relationship turns tense. Yohe said Pittsburgh’s leadership was “delighted” with Skinner’s presence in the locker room—then immediately undercut that praise with their dissatisfaction with his results on the ice. A team source also called Skinner’s physical attributes “limited. ” and the club preferred the long-term potential of Silovs and 22-year-old Sergei Murashov.
Skinner’s own numbers in one year with Pittsburgh help explain why the debate has grown louder. He went 12-9-5 with a 2.99 GAA and .885 SV%.
Before coming to Pittsburgh, Skinner spent five seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, where he earned an All-Star Game appearance in 2023.
The alternative the Penguins are weighing—Silovs—arrived with a different kind of trajectory. Silovs. 25. began his career with the Vancouver Canucks before being traded to Pittsburgh last July in a deal involving former first-round pick Chase Stillman. Yohe pointed out that Silovs posted worse numbers in the regular season than Skinner. but his postseason work changed the conversation.
In three playoff appearances, Silovs had a 1.52 GAA and .939 SV%.
That playoff performance is also part of why the “long shot” framing matters. Yohe’s reporting ends with a sense that Pittsburgh may not be willing to uproot what it already believes is the better long-term answer. “Still. smart money says they will re-sign Silovs. a talented pending restricted free agent whose postseason performance seemed to get the organization’s attention.”.
So even as Skinner’s future hangs in the balance before July 1. the Penguins’ priorities seem to be pulling in two directions at once: a goalie they reportedly enjoyed having around the team. and a goalie tandem they seem more convinced about for the years ahead—if they don’t have to sacrifice it to bring Skinner back.
Stuart Skinner Pittsburgh Penguins Artūrs Silovs Sergei Murashov July 1 NHL rumors Tristan Jarry trade Edmonton Oilers Vancouver Canucks Chase Stillman