Oilers' Skinner hopes to learn mental toughness from Panthers' Bobrovsky

Stuart Skinner wants to learn about fellow netminder Sergei Bobrovsky's mental fortitude after the Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals.

"This is my third year in the league," Skinner said, according to NHL.com's Shawn P. Roarke. "He's 36, he's been playing for 14 years, and you can tell because nothing changes for him. You can tell he is in the same spot whether he lets in six or gets a shutout. He didn't change for one second.

"I'd love to get in touch with him and ask him how I could fill his shoes and do that. I'm definitely hoping that's my trajectory, but it's going to come from me and my hard work."

Skinner was in and out of the Oilers' crease during the postseason. The goalie had up-and-down games throughout his 15 starts - he had three shutouts, but was pulled in Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup Final and was benched in Game 5 in favor of Calvin Pickard.

Head coach Kris Knoblauch turned back to Skinner for Game 6. The 26-year-old let in three goals on 23 shots, finishing his series with an .852 save percentage.

Skinner had previously won the first three elimination games he started in the 2023-24 Final against the Panthers, posting a .942 save percentage and allowing only five goals on 86 shots. He allowed 19 goals on 137 shots in five games against Florida this series.

"As a team, we need to learn from this right away. Letting it happen two times in a row is devastating," Skinner said.

Bobrovsky, in contrast, let in 17 goals on 210 shots in his six Stanley Cup Final games this spring, finishing the series with a .920 save percentage.

Skinner is entering his final year of a three-year, $7.8-million deal with the Oilers. He becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season.