Paul Bissonnette Questions Stuart Skinner’s Game 3 Collapse With Bold Theory After Oilers’ Stanley Cup Final Meltdown in Florida

In the wake of the Edmonton Oilers’ Game 3 disaster in the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, tempers and opinions have flared across the hockey world. Among the loudest—and certainly most colorful—voices weighing in on the Oilers’ situation is none other than former NHL enforcer turned popular media personality Paul Bissonnette. The Spittin’ Chiclets co-host and TNT analyst didn’t hold back following Edmonton’s humbling 4-1 loss, and his comments centered on one person in particular: starting goaltender Stuart Skinner.

Skinner, who has now been pulled multiple times during the Oilers’ 2024-25 playoff run, looked off his game again in Game 3. With the series shifting to Edmonton and the Oilers desperate for a bounce-back performance, Skinner’s inability to control rebounds and stop routine shots sparked panic not only in Rogers Place but throughout Oil Country.

It was during the postgame show on TNT when Bissonnette dropped what some are calling a “wild theory” and others are calling a harsh truth. He suggested that Skinner might be mentally rattled beyond repair for this postseason and raised questions about how the Oilers are managing their goaltending situation.

“He looks like he’s seeing ghosts out there,” Bissonnette said. “This isn’t just about technique—it’s mental. Something’s going on with Skinner, and I don’t know if it’s pressure, nerves, or something else, but he’s not right. If I’m Jay Woodcroft, I’m seriously thinking about starting Pickard next game. You can’t keep throwing Skinner out there hoping he figures it out mid-series.”

What made Bissonnette’s take go viral wasn’t just the critique—it was the added theory he tacked on, suggesting that Skinner may be dealing with more than the public realizes.

“Look, I don’t want to speculate irresponsibly, but I’m wondering if there’s something going on behind the scenes,” he continued. “Is he hurt? Is something bothering him at home? He’s not playing like the guy who carried this team for stretches in the regular season. Something’s off. Maybe the pressure of being the guy in his hometown is getting to him.”

Bissonnette’s theory sent shockwaves across the hockey community. Fans and pundits alike have been left debating whether Skinner’s struggles are purely performance-based or if there’s a deeper story yet to unfold. While there has been no public indication from the Oilers’ camp of any off-ice issue, his regression in high-stakes moments has become a storyline the team can no longer ignore.

Through the first three games of the Final, Skinner has allowed 11 goals, many of which have come on stoppable shots or sequences that unravel due to his rebound control. When asked about his performance after the game, Skinner was visibly frustrated but composed.

“I need to be better. No excuses,” he said in the locker room. “The guys are playing hard in front of me. I owe them better. I owe our fans better.”

That quote may sound like leadership, but to fans watching Game 3, it felt like déjà vu. Skinner has delivered that same message more than once this postseason, and at some point, words lose their weight. He’s the starting goaltender for a team in the Stanley Cup Final, and the stage has only magnified every flaw in his game.

Coach Jay Woodcroft, when pressed postgame, didn’t confirm or deny whether Skinner would start Game 4. “We’ll look at everything tonight and tomorrow,” he said. “We want to give our team the best chance to win, and that includes every position.”

Calvin Pickard, the backup netminder who stepped in admirably during Skinner’s earlier struggles in the playoffs, is now being talked about as a potential savior in a situation no one saw coming. He hasn’t played since Round 2, but his steadiness and calm in net earned him credibility among teammates and fans alike. The question is whether the Oilers would dare to make such a high-stakes change with their season on the line.

Bissonnette isn’t the only one calling for change. On social media, Oilers fans have been erupting with takes, many echoing Biz’s concern that Skinner may not be the man for the job—at least not right now.

“He’s a great story, local kid, big moments,” one fan posted on X (formerly Twitter). “But this isn’t about the future. It’s about RIGHT NOW. Start Pickard.”

Even NHL veterans like Kevin Weekes and Ryan Whitney weighed in after Bissonnette’s rant, with Weekes noting that “Skinner doesn’t seem to be tracking the puck well” and Whitney adding, “Biss is onto something—this feels bigger than just a slump.”

Yet amid all this turmoil, it’s easy to forget the broader context. Skinner was an All-Star caliber goalie this season, playing in 59 games, winning 36 of them, and sporting a .909 save percentage. He’s no stranger to adversity, either. Last year’s playoff exit sharpened him, and he came into this season more technically sound and mentally tougher—or so it seemed.

But the playoffs are a different beast. And in a Stanley Cup Final where every goal matters, every save becomes a referendum on your fitness to lead a championship run.

Bissonnette’s broader point—beyond the possible off-ice speculation—may be that the Oilers, for all their firepower with McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard, simply can’t survive if their goalie is subpar. Not at this level. Not with Florida rolling four lines, crashing the net, and playing the kind of relentless forecheck that punishes hesitation.

“You can’t let in soft ones and expect to win a Stanley Cup,” Bissonnette added. “That’s just the cold truth. I don’t care how many goals your stars score—if the guy in net can’t make the timely saves, you’re toast.”

For all his brashness, Bissonnette has tapped into something Oilers fans have feared deep down: that this might be a window wasted if the team doesn’t adjust fast. Whether Woodcroft heeds the warning and starts Pickard or sticks with Skinner remains to be seen, but the decision could define not only the series but perhaps the legacy of this core group.

The Oilers’ room is tight-knit, and Skinner is well-liked, even beloved. But hockey is a business, and winning is the bottom line. Paul Bissonnette may be blunt, maybe even provocative, but he’s put a spotlight on what could be the defining question of the series.

Do the Oilers ride or replace their hometown netminder when the Cup is still in reach?

We’ll find out soon enough. Game 4 is coming, and with it, the Oilers’ chance at redemption—or ruin.