Anaheim Ducks sign young goalie Lukas Dostal, media reveals Stuart Skinner will be affected
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Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal has officially been signed to a 6 year, $32.5M deal that will influence the Oilers' next contract with Stuart Skinner.
The young 25-year old native of Brno, Czech Republick signed a five-year contract worth $32.5M, with an AAV of $6.5M, a sizeable increase from his previous contract with Anaheim, a 2-year deal with a cap hit of $1.625M; he'd been selected for arbitration on July 5th.
"Super excited to announce that I'm staying in Anaheim," Lukas Dostal says in the Breaking News video directed at the Ducks' fan base. "for an additional five years. Love to play in front of you guys and to play in this community. We are a team on the rise and can't wait to see you again."
Lukas Dostal was drafted 85th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, and had his first starts with Anaheim in the 2021-22 season, three games in which he won 1 and lost 2. In 2024-25, Dostal started in 49 games, with a record of 23-23-7, a 3.10 GAA and .903 SV%.
Oilers media believes Dostal deal will heavily influence Skinner contract
Lukas Dostal had established himself as Anaheim's starter this past season, recording in addition to his 23-23-7 record, a 16.29 5v5 goals above expected in 54 games played.
The $6.5M AAV is fairly high for a goaltender whose GAA is above 3.00, and SV% just above .900, and has a losing record over his career (42-58-13). Yet, it is a reality of today's NHL goalie market, where true starters are difficult to come by, and who command a salary premium.
It is no secret that teams like the Edmonton Oilers, a club that is experiencing instability in the goalie position, are in the market for a top starter. For now, they seem to have belief in Stuart Skinner - and will have to pay up for him.
According to Oilers insider Jim Matheson, Skinner's playoff experience may cause him to get a bigger deal than Dostal next year.
Having Lukas Dostal coming off the free agent list makes it that much more challenging for the Oilers' GM Stan Bowman, who's repeatedly stated that a top goalie is a priority for his sign.
Yet, a trade for a top goalie is not entirely out of the question; Stan Bowman is working the phones to acquire a replacement for one Skinner and Pickard. With less than two months before camp, the pressure is on the Oilers GM.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 17 | 421 ANSWERS Anaheim Ducks sign young goalie Lukas Dostal, media reveals Stuart Skinner will be affected Do the Oilers need to find a top starting goalie to replace Skinner or Pickard? | ||
| yes | 364 | 86.5 % |
| no | 57 | 13.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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