Stuart Skinner makes honest admission about his scary injury as he returns to ice after 7-game absence

Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner opened up about the intensive recovery process he underwent after suffering a head injury that led to him missing seven games. The netminder took a knee to the face from Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen on Mar. 25.

He returned to the roster for Friday’s game against the San Jose Sharks but did not get any ice time. Speaking to reporters ahead of the Oilers’ game against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, Skinner delved into his treatment and complicated rehab journey.

“So I got a ton of help, lots of work done on my neck," Skinner said. "Doing some stuff for my brain, just let it heal, and then kind of get it activated again. So yeah, just a lot of treatments, a lot of recovery, try to get my mind right.”

He also discussed his feelings about not being able to practice because of the concussion he suffered.

“Concussion’s kind of a little bit different, just because I felt fine in my body, and I looked good in the terms of, like I wasn't limping or anything like that,” Skinner said. “So it was hard to be around the rink, obviously. You wish that you could be out there battling with the guys. So the guys did great on the road trip, came back, got some more points. So happy to be back.”

The Oilers will be glad to have their top goalie between the sticks during their upcoming game against the high-flying Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. The Jets clinched the No. 1 seed spot in their division with an overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. The Oilers will look to gain ground on the Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division.

Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch says the team is being extra cautious about Stuart Skinner

On Friday, Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters that the team was easing Stuart Skinner back into the lineup after his head injury.

"He is cleared, he could play, he could be our starting goalie tonight, but with the amount of time we've had for practice and just being cleared, he's had a couple pre-game skates, we felt like giving him a little more time," Knoblauch said via NHL.com.

He had also stated that Skinner would play in one of the back-to-back games on the Oilers’ calendar; against the Jets on Sunday or the Los Angeles Kings on Monday.