Breaking: Ahead of the Edmonton Oilers’ huge game against the Vegas Golden Knights there has been an unsettling internal dispute. Stuart Skinner has been under heavy fire from head coach Kris Knoblauch for his actions, who has made some nasty remarks.

As the Edmonton Oilers prepare for what could be one of the most pivotal games of their season — a high-stakes matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights — a storm has been brewing within the locker room. The unsettling internal dispute between head coach Kris Knoblauch and starting goaltender Stuart Skinner has suddenly taken center stage, overshadowing the on-ice stakes and raising serious concerns about team unity.

What was already a pressure-filled moment for the franchise has now spiraled into controversy, with Knoblauch reportedly launching into an unexpected and scathing critique of Skinner’s recent play, demeanor, and leadership. The timing couldn’t be worse.

Kris Knoblauch, the soft-spoken but analytically driven bench boss who took over the Oilers in midseason after the dismissal of Jay Woodcroft, is not known for public outbursts or dressing down players in the media. But in a rare moment of frustration, Knoblauch reportedly made “nasty and cutting” remarks about Skinner during a private team meeting that sources say quickly turned confrontational.

“He basically called him out in front of the team,” said an insider close to the situation. “He said Skinner’s mental toughness isn’t where it needs to be and that he’s letting the team down with his inconsistency. He questioned his preparation, his focus — even his attitude.”

While Knoblauch didn’t intend for his comments to go public, leaks quickly surfaced, and the locker room tension spilled into the public eye ahead of the team’s showdown with the reigning Stanley Cup champions.

Stuart Skinner, the 25-year-old netminder who grew up in Edmonton and once represented the franchise’s future in goal, has experienced a rollercoaster of a season. After a promising 2023-24 campaign where he posted a .913 save percentage and helped the Oilers reach the Western Conference Finals, expectations were sky-high for Skinner heading into 2024-25.

But the pressure appears to have gotten to him.

In his last five starts, Skinner has allowed 18 goals on 125 shots — a save percentage of just .856. Costly soft goals, puck handling mistakes, and poor rebound control have plagued his game. More troublingly for Knoblauch and the coaching staff, Skinner has seemed visibly rattled on the ice, slamming his stick and often showing frustration during stoppages.

For a team eyeing a Stanley Cup run, those signs have become unacceptable.

“What he said about me definitely stung,” Skinner told reporters after Friday’s practice. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Knobes (Knoblauch), but I don’t think airing those kinds of things in front of the team was the right way to go. I’m not perfect. I know I’ve struggled. But I’ve always tried to own my game.”

Skinner stopped short of calling the comments “disrespectful,” but others in the room reportedly felt that line was crossed.

Sources inside the organization suggest that the fallout from Knoblauch’s remarks has divided the locker room. Some veterans, like Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse, have tried to calm the waters, preaching unity and perspective. But others have privately expressed concern about the timing and tone of the confrontation.

“Everyone knows Skinner’s been struggling,” said one anonymous teammate. “But you handle that behind closed doors, one-on-one. Tearing a guy down in front of the group, especially this close to the playoffs, that’s risky.”

The situation is made more complex by the lack of a reliable backup option. Jack Campbell, once seen as the potential starter, has struggled mightily this season and spent most of the year in the AHL with Bakersfield. Calvin Pickard has shown flashes, but his lack of playoff experience makes it difficult for the coaching staff to trust him in do-or-die situations.

In other words: Skinner is still their best bet.

And that makes Knoblauch’s verbal broadside all the more shocking.

This season has been a pressure cooker for the Oilers from the start. A brutal October that saw them near the bottom of the standings cost Woodcroft his job. Knoblauch came in and helped turn the ship around, guiding the Oilers on a record-setting win streak and vaulting them back into playoff contention.

But as expectations rose, so did the pressure — especially on Skinner.

The Oilers are a team built to win now. With McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in their prime and their contracts inching toward expiration, there is a growing sense of urgency within the organization. A deep playoff run — or better yet, a Stanley Cup — may be the only way to convince the core to stick together for the long haul.

In that context, Skinner’s recent stumbles feel magnified. Every goal let in becomes a potential turning point. Every save missed a potential collapse.

Knoblauch, by all accounts, has tried patience and encouragement with his young goaltender. But something snapped this week.

“He’s a good coach, but he’s also under incredible stress,” said a former NHL assistant coach familiar with Knoblauch’s style. “Sometimes you say things in the heat of the moment that don’t reflect your true feelings — or your long-term vision. I’d bet he regrets some of what he said.”

The next few games will likely determine how this saga plays out — both for Skinner and Knoblauch.

If Skinner rebounds and backstops the Oilers to a win over the Golden Knights, it could be seen as a galvanizing moment. A wake-up call. A test of character that he passed.

But if Skinner falters, or if the team senses deeper dysfunction growing, it could mark the beginning of a much more serious unraveling.

Knoblauch has not publicly apologized or clarified his remarks, but in his pregame availability, he attempted to lower the temperature:

“Every player goes through ups and downs, and Stu’s no different,” he said. “He’s a great kid, a talented goalie, and I still believe in him. Sometimes tough conversations happen in this sport, especially when the stakes are this high.”

When pressed on whether he regretted how the conversation played out, Knoblauch simply said: “It was a team discussion. I’ll leave it at that.”

This internal flare-up now puts additional pressure on Connor McDavid, who has long been the stoic face of the franchise but is now being looked to as a leader in crisis.

McDavid has declined to comment specifically on Knoblauch’s remarks, but did offer support for his goalie.

“Stu’s our guy. He’s been there for us all year, and we’ll be there for him,” McDavid said. “This group is tight. We’ve been through adversity. We’ll get through this too.”

Behind closed doors, sources say McDavid has spoken to both Knoblauch and Skinner, encouraging cooler heads and focusing the team on what’s ahead — not what’s behind.

“He’s trying to be the glue right now,” said one source. “Connor knows this can’t spiral into a distraction. They’ve got to rally.”

All eyes are now on Saturday night’s game against Vegas — a team that has its own playoff ambitions and a reputation for pouncing on disorganized opponents. Whether Skinner starts or not, the internal conflict within Edmonton has already made this one of the most emotionally charged matchups of the year.

Fans at Rogers Place will be watching closely: not just to see whether the Oilers win or lose, but whether the team looks united — or fractured.

The fallout from Knoblauch’s remarks may not be over. If the Oilers stumble down the stretch or fail to make a deep postseason run, this moment could become a flashpoint in the autopsy.

But if Skinner responds with resilience and the Oilers turn this drama into fuel for a playoff push, it could go down as one of the defining moments of a championship campaign.