NEW YORK (1er avril 2023) – Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinnerwho led the entire NHL (rookies and veterans) with 10 wins in 12 games (10-1-1, 2.83 MBA, %ARR. ,908, 1 BL), was named rookie of the month March in the NHL.
Skinner got the better of the Arizona Coyotes’ left winger Matias Maccelli (6-7-13, 16 MJ), Buffalo Sabers right winger JJ Peterka (3-8-11, 13 GM), Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (7-3-10, 15 MJ), Nashville Predators right wing Luke Evangelista (5-4-9, 15 MJ) and left wing for the Vegas Golden Knights Pavel Dorofeyev (5-2-7, 9 MJ) to earn the honor.
Skinner set a team record for wins in a calendar month by a rookie or veteran, breaking the previous record of nine wins set by Andy Moog in January 1983 (9-1-2, 12 GMs) and tied by Grant Fuhr in December 1988 (9-3-1, 13 MJ), Tommy Salo in March 2003 (9-3-1, 13 MJ) and Mike Smith in April 2022 (9-0-0, 9 MJ).
Skinner, who in February became the second rookie goalie in Edmonton history to play in the All-Star Game (Fuhr in 1982), also became the first rookie goaltender to lead the NHL in the win column for a calendar month since February 2019, when Jordan Binnington achieved the feat with the St. Louis Blues (10-1-0, 11 GMs).
Skinner, who made at least 25 saves in 10 of his 12 outings in March, wrapped up the month with 43 saves on March 30 once morest the Los Angeles Kings. He then signed his second career shutout (his first in 2022-23). Only three other goalies – rookies or veterans – in Oilers history have had as many saves in a regular-season shutout: Ben Scrivens (59 saves; Jan. 29, 2014 vs. San Jose Sharks), Curtis Joseph (52 saves ; December 10, 1996 once morest the Detroit Red Wings) and Nikolai Khabibulin (43 saves; March 26, 2013 once morest the St. Louis Blues).
The 24-year-old Skinner was drafted in the third round (78th overall) in 2017 and is 25-14-5 with a 2.88 goals- once morest average and .911 save percentage in 46 games. this season. His 25 wins are the second most by an Edmonton rookie goaltender in a season, behind Fuhr’s 28 in 1981-82 (48 GMs). It is also the most wins by a rookie in the NHL since the 32 wins of Matt Murray in 2016-17 (49 GMs with the Pittsburgh Penguins).
Skinner is the first Oilers player to receive Rookie of the Month honor since his current teammate Connor McDavid did so three times in 2015-16 (October, February, March). He is the fifth consecutive goaltender to win the honor this season, following Logan Thompson (Vegas Golden Knights) in November, Pyotr Kochetkov (Carolina Hurricanes) in December, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sabers) in January and Mads Sogaard (Ottawa Senators) in February.
