This is a tale of two Jeffs, Jeff Skinner and Jeff Jackson, and how things can look good on paper but when it comes to performing on the ice, that’s a whole different matter. If you recall, things were looking up in Oil Country when Oilers CEO of Hockey Operations, Jeff Jackson, announced the signing of Jeff Skinner on July 1, 2024. The Oilers signed Skinner, who was bought out of the final three seasons of his eight-year, $72-million contract with the Buffalo Sabres.
Considering the Oilers signed Skinner to a one-year, $3 million contract, they felt they were getting really good value for a proven goalscorer who has amassed 363 goals in 1,038 career games. In retrospect, they might’ve paid more attention to his career plus/minus rating of minus-139. In 32 games with the Oilers this season, he has six goals, six assists and a plus/minus of minus-9. Not great considering the Oilers as a team have a plus-13 goal differential with Skinner having the worst plus/minus rating on the team. It’s really no surprise that Oilers head coach Kris Knobluach has demoted Skinner to the fourth line.
It’s Evident This Deal Isn’t Working Out for the Player or the Team
There was a lot of optimism about the Skinner signing on July 1 in Oil Country. He was signed the same day as another veteran scorer, Viktor Arvidsson, who came to the Oilers as a free agent from the Los Angeles Kings. Both signings are not looking great as we near the halfway point of the season as Skinner has underperformed and Arvidsson has been injured for almost half of the season. Skinner came to Oil Country with dreams of making the playoffs. In over 1,000 career regular season games, he has not played a single playoff game. That’s tough.
Considering the Oilers have given Skinner a look on the first, second and third lines, it might be in the team and player’s best interest to find a trading partner for Skinner. Former Oilers defenceman Jason Strudiwck mentioned the possibility of a trade on a recent podcast. Hopefully, the Oilers can do Skinner a favour by trading him to a contending playoff team but there has to be a solid return or else the deal isn’t worth making.
Skinner Bringing Back Memories of Petr Klima
If the Oilers can’t find a suitable trading partner for Skinner or get back a solid player in return, they might be wise just to wait until the playoffs to see if that might rejuvenate him. This situation reminds me a lot of the early 1990s when the Oilers had the talented but inconsistent Petr Klima on their roster. In Game 1 of the 1990 Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins, he was benched for the majority of the game, until the gassed Oilers were forced to put his fresh legs on the ice. He was put out on a line with Jari Kurri and Craig McTavish and in the third overtime period scored the winning goal against former Oilers goaltender Andy Moog. It was a moment that changed Klima and the Oilers’ fortunes as he became a folk hero in Edmonton, and the late winger truly achieved redemption from that moment on in his NHL career.
Can Skinner be the second coming of Klima? Possibly. Especially if there are injuries and/or suspensions in the Oilers’ top-nine forward group. He might just be the insurance policy the team needs. But the playoffs are a long way off at the moment, and the Oilers can ill afford to have passengers on their roster.
Keep an Eye Out for Skinner at the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline
We’ll see whether Oilers general manager Stan Bowman is a “hold em or fold em” kind of guy. If he can get a strong return for Skinner, you can bet he’s going to make a trade happen. But if he doesn’t, it might be prudent to keep him as an insurance policy for the playoffs. A lot has been written that the gamble to sign Skinner (and Arvidsson) came at the expense of losing Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to a double offer sheet to the St. Louis Blues.
Related: Oilers Have a Target On Their Back
The Oilers’ offseason signings of Ty Emberson and Vasily Podkolzin have helped ease the pain of Oilers fans, as both have been strong replacements for the departed Broberg and Holloway. However, there’s still that “what if?” question regarding the loss of two first-round draft picks in Broberg and Holloway and how they would have contributed this season. Part of the anger about the double offer sheet is directed at both Skinner and CEO Jackson. But all is not lost. They can either use him as trade bait for another forward or defenceman, or hang on to him and hope that he creates some Klima magic come the postseason. Either way, it’s going to be interesting to see what happens.
