Edmonton Oilers reluctant to meet Stuart Skinner's asking price for next contract

New reports from NHL insiders suggest the Oilers will be sticking with the Skinner and Pickard tandem for next season, citing a lack of available goalies they see as upgrades. However, a decision will be forced when Skinner becomes a UFA.

Skinner is currently eligible to sign a contract extension with the Oilers, and will become a free agent at the end of next season. However, his upcoming season may be a make-or-break for his future with Edmonton.

According to experts at AFP Analytics, Skinner could command a salary of over $6M on a 4 year contract, a significant raise from his current deal of $2.6M. The Oilers will have to pay up for his experience, especially considering the rising cap.

With a save percentage of .896 last season and once again losing the starter's job in the playoffs - the Oilers simply can't afford to pay so much for a goalie they're unsure of.

Interestingly, reports have surfaced from Bob Stauffer that the Oilers players would like to see Jake Walman and Vasily Podkolzin signed - but no mention of Skinner.

For now the Oilers can excuse their goalie woes for the fact they spend among the lowest in the NHL on goaltending.

But if they pay up for Skinner and the results don't get better, they'll have a serious problem. The time is now to find a serious upgrade in goal.