At 32-years-old, Jeff Skinner is no spring chicken. Having skated in 15 NHL seasons and 1,006 regular season games, and with 357 goals and 670 points under his belt, it’s no secret that he is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. But that certainly doesn’t mean that his best days aren’t ahead of him, as the veteran left-winger will suit up for the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024-25 campaign with his best opportunity to win a Stanley Cup directly in front of him.
When Skinner became a free agent this offseason, it was clear that he had one focus in mind: signing with a legitimate Stanley Cup-contending team. What many may not know is that, in his 15 years in the NHL, he has yet to appear is a single playoff game. His career began with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2010 during a stormy period of their existence before he joined the Buffalo Sabres in 2018. For the Oilers to nab a player of his caliber on a one-year deal for $3 million clearly indicated his focus, as the native of Markham, Ontario surely could have demanded a contract of longer-term and value with a number of different NHL teams.
Career-Year on Tap for Skinner?
When Skinner takes to the ice with Edmonton for the 2024-25 campaign, it’ll present the veteran left-winger with a handful of career-best opportunities. In fact, not only will he be playing for one of the best teams of his career, but he’ll be skating alongside arguably his best crop of teammates ever, too. Although the Oilers’ lineup is anything but set in stone ahead of the 2024-25 season, it appears at first glance as though Skinner will be given the opportunity to skate on the second line alongside perennial All-Star Leon Draisaitl and recent free agent signee Viktor Arvidsson. With a world-class playmaker down the middle and a hard-nosed puck hound to his right, Skinner will surely be afforded endless scoring opportunities and tap-ins playing alongside two of the game’s best.
On top of his glaring opportunity within the Oilers’ top six, expect to see Skinner on the second power-play unit to begin the season. For the past few years, the first power-play unit has been heavily relied upon – mainly because of the team’s star power, but also due to the lack of depth scoring. With Skinner sure to be inserted onto the second unit alongside Arvidsson, the Oilers could have a lethal secondary option on the power-play, and one that will allow them to rest their star players for added even-strength action. Over the past three seasons, no team has iced a more successful power play than the Oilers, who have enjoyed a jaw-dropping 28.4% success rate. If Skinner can add a greater depth and threat to the man advantage, we could very well see one of the most successful power-play teams in NHL history during the 2024-25 campaign.
Low Risk, High Reward
At the end of the day, the Oilers’ signing of Skinner to a one-year deal is simply a low-risk, high-reward move. In the best-case scenario, he joins Edmonton and pieces together a career year alongside his new and wildly talented teammates. Sure to receive ample playing time in the top six as well as on the power play, incentive is in Skinner’s corner – slated to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the coming campaign, an excellent season could lead to a lucrative long-term deal in the near future.
Related: Expectations for New Oiler Forward Jeff Skinner
On the flip side, if Skinner isn’t able to find success, it will have been a well-intended move by the Oilers that simply didn’t pan out. Sure, they’re facing salary cap woes, but taking a gamble on a player such as Skinner on a short-term and low-value deal is exactly the type of move that could help push them to the top as they set their sights on a return to the Stanley Cup Final. If this move pays off for Edmonton, Oilers fans could very well be clamouring for Jeff Jackson to become the team’s full-time general manager rather than its CEO of Hockey Operations.
