Latest update on Oilers’ Stuart Skinner has fans concerned

The Edmonton Oilers are travelling through California and they have to do so without their starting goalie Stuart Skinner. Head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters on Thursday that Skinner has stayed back in Edmonton and has not yet resumed skating as he recovers from a concussion.

“He’s doing well,” Knoblauch told reporters. “He has not skated yet but he’s doing well, and we’ll be picking up on workouts and being on the ice soon.”

Back on March 26, against the Dallas Stars, Skinner was struck in the head by the knee of forward Mikko Rantanen. At that time, the goalie was replaced in that game by Calvin Pickard,

The news isn’t what fans expected when he was first listed as day-to-day. The timeline appears to be changing and now some pundits are starting to wonder if Skinner will be ready and a 100 percent healthy for the postseason.

The Oilers are looking to go back to the Stanley Cup Final with, this time, a different result. Last June, Edmonton fell in Game 7 to the Florida Panthers.

Let’s not forget that the Oilers are not only without Skinner, but also sans captain Connor McDavid, who suffered an injury in the Oilers’ March 20 game against the Winnipeg Jets. McDavid is expected back before the end of the regular season, and so, like Skinner, will not play on this current road trip, which wraps up Monday night in Anaheim.

To make things worse on top of all this, Leon Draisaitl left last night's game in San Jose with an apparent injury. It had been just three games since his return to the lineup following a four-game absence through late March due to an undisclosed injury. After the contest, coach Knoblauch did not provide an update on his star forward.

In 49 games this season, Skinner has posted a 2.91 goals-against average and .894 save percentage.

Fans will need to be a little more patient with Skinner, especially since it can be really to recover from a concussion and its ongoing symptoms. The important thing is for Skinner to get better, even if it means missing out of the start of the postseason.