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Stuart Skinner’s future just took a dramatic turn, per David Pagnotta

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Vincent Carbonneau
April 27, 2026  (6:43 PM)
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Apr 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period in game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Photo credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Stuart Skinner gave Dan Muse another offseason question as his Penguins future suddenly looks shaky.

That is the real takeaway from David Pagnotta's comment. He said he would be shocked if Skinner is back with Pittsburgh.

That is strong language for this time of year. It does not sound like a player sitting in normal summer uncertainty.

It sounds like a door already starting to close. And when the name is Skinner, that gets attention in Edmonton too.

Because this is not just any Penguins goalie rumor. This is a former Oiler whose career has already carried more noise than most around playoff pressure, crease trust, and whether a team can really go forward with him.

That former Oilers angle matters here. Skinner's time in Edmonton always came with debate, and now the same kind of instability seems to be following him into Pittsburgh.

If Pagnotta is right, the Penguins are not seeing Skinner as part of their next crease plan. That says plenty on its own.

David Pagnotta: Re Stuart Skinner/Penguins: I'd be shocked if he's back - Hello Hockey (4/25)

What David Pagnotta just revealed about Stuart Skinner’s future changes everything

That is what makes this story land harder than a normal offseason rumor. For Skinner, the issue is no longer one market or one fan base.

It is the same wider hockey question showing up again. Can a team really settle down in net with him when the pressure rises?

Pittsburgh becoming ready to move on would only add to that feeling. It would suggest the Penguins saw enough to doubt the fit long term.

And from an Oilers perspective, there is a familiar sting in that. Edmonton spent years trying to decide whether Skinner could be the answer, and now another club may be reaching the same conclusion even faster.

That does not mean Skinner is done. Goalies can reset in a hurry, and one new landing spot can change everything if the structure and trust are right.

But this kind of report still hurts. Once an insider says he would be shocked if a goalie is back, the market starts reading that player as available, replaceable, or already on the outside.

That is where the former Oiler layer becomes interesting. If Pittsburgh moves on, Skinner becomes one of those names Edmonton fans will keep tracking from a distance, partly out of memory and partly out of curiosity about whether he ever finds stable ground.

So this is more than a Penguins note. It is another chapter in a career that keeps circling the same pressure point.

Skinner may still get another shot somewhere else. But right now, the clearest read is that Pittsburgh does not look ready to be that place.


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