Good news:Edmonton Oilers sign Jeff Skinner to one-year, $3 million contract.He is coming off a season where he…
The Edmonton Oilers have added another top-six winger to their lineup, as reported by Frank Seravalli on Saturday afternoon. The team signed Jeff Skinner to a one-year, $3 million contract. Did anyone expect the Oilers to acquire two top-six wingers on the first day of free agency? Likely not, but that’s exactly what occurred, with the Oilers reportedly signing the recently bought-out Skinner. He is coming off a season where he scored 24 goals with the Buffalo Sabres, a team that missed the playoffs for the 13th consecutive year. The 32-year-old winger had three years left on his contract, which had a $9 million cap hit.
Skinner initially signed an eight-year, $72 million contract with then-GM Jason Botterill and spent the last six seasons in Buffalo, scoring a total of 153 goals, including a 40-goal season in his first year with the team. Over the past three seasons, Skinner has averaged 1.25 goals per hour at even strength, ranking 10th among all NHL players, and would be the top scorer on the Oilers in this metric. The team already features stars like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman. During the 2023-24 season, Skinner averaged 15:59 of ice time per game, including 2:35 per game on the power play.
Throughout his NHL career, Skinner has been a prolific scorer but has yet to play in a single playoff game despite playing over 1,000 games. He began his career with the Carolina Hurricanes before they became competitive, then moved to the Buffalo Sabres when they were attempting to become playoff contenders. Unfortunately, this resulted in a 14-year career without any postseason appearances. Skinner’s one-year contract with the Oilers likely reflects his hope of finally experiencing playoff hockey.
