'It's a big challenge': Hometown goalie Stuart Skinner excited for chance to be a fulltime Oiler

Following stops in Lethbridge, Swift Current, Wichita and Bakersfield, Stuart Skinner has rented a home in Edmonton and he's confident he'll stay all year.

The former South Side Athletic Club Lion has a good chance to be the backup goalie for the Edmonton Oilers this season after a likely-career-ending injury to Mike Smith and the departure of Mikko Koskinen.

"I've got one job and that's to stop the puck and that's what I'm gonna do," Skinner, 23, said about blocking out the pressure of playing in his hometown.

"I've gotten a lot of games in the American League and the ECHL and I've kind of worked my way up. It's been a grind and it's taken a lot of hard work."

Skinner is expected to share the net with recent free agent arrival Jack Campbell, who he called an "awesome guy."

A third-round pick in 2017, Skinner has played 14 NHL games with the Oilers over the past two seasons when he was called up because of injuries.

"I've played some good teams, got a few wins under my belt, and just more comfortable in this league," Skinner said, adding this year he feels more "confident" in the NHL.

"I'm fortunate because I've seen Stuart hit every developmental stage along the way to get to this point," head coach Jay Woodcroft said.

"I saw him grow as a goaltender and I saw him grow as a person over that time. It's a credit to all the hardwork that he's put in that he's positioned where he is now."

The Oilers' regular season starts at Rogers Place on Oct. 12 against the Vancouver Canucks.