Livescore
The Edmonton Oilers are again making left winger Jeff Skinner a healthy scratch Monday, underscoring his struggles in his first and probably only year with the organization.
The 32-year-old has just seven goals and 15 points in 40 games. But the Oilers haven’t played Skinner as much throughout the season as he’s used to playing. His 14:47 of average ice time in October was already close to his career low of 14:31 from 2020-21. But overall this season, he’s at 12:36, averaging 9:27 or less in three of his last five games. Signing him to a one-year, $3-million contract now seems like a mistake.
Skinner has been a poor fit with Edmonton, but that doesn’t mean he’s no longer an intriguing potential asset for other NHL teams who want to play him more often. To that end, here are four teams that could make a play for Skinner on the trade front:
Buffalo Sabres
Last summer, the Sabres bought out Skinner’s contract, which carried a $9-million cap hit. But Buffalo is last in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.
The Sabres still want to make a playoff push, and a Skinner reunion with Buffalo could be attractive for both parties.
The Sabres have more than enough salary cap space to acquire Skinner, and given that he is only on a one-year deal, there are no long-term issues with bringing him aboard. He’d be a rental, and he wouldn’t cost Buffalo an arm and a leg in any trade.
Buffalo has needed another scoring winger all season, as the team ranks 14th in goals-for per game with 3.02. A $9-million Skinner may not have worked for the team anymore, but a $3-million Skinner could.
The familiarity of the Sabres organization may be the key selling point to him waiving his no-move clause to rejoin Buffalo. It’s highly unlikely he will dig in his heels to remain an Oiler if their usage of him continues like this.
Related: Screen Shots: Oilers’ Jeff Skinner Experiment, Blackhawks’ Frustration And ‘Expert’ Predictions
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets are in the thick of the hunt for a wild-card spot, and Columbus could use another veteran to bulk up its group of forwards. Skinner may wind up being more productive out of the harsh glare of the Canadian NHL team spotlight, and if he does turn his season around, you could see a scenario in which he sticks with the Blue Jackets next year.
Skinner wouldn’t be expected to put the Jackets on his back since they already have the NHL’s fifth-most goals-for per game, at 3.40. But he could serve well as a reclamation project to put the Blue Jackets over the top in the playoff race. He could start on the third line, or he could replace James van Riemsdyk on the second line to take advantage of Cole Sillinger’s playmaking.
Related: Should The Columbus Blue Jackets Push For The Playoffs By Trading For Upgrades?
St. Louis Blues
The Blues also have their sights set on earning a playoff spot, but they only have 2.82 goals-for per game.
St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong has already swung an in-season trade to help his squad by acquiring defenseman Cam Fowler from the Anaheim Ducks.
The Blues currently have $3.58 million in cap space with D-man Torey Krug on long-term injured reserve, so they can take on Skinner’s $3-million salary without clearing cap space. The Oilers can use the space they gain to upgrade elsewhere on the roster, which sounds worth doing, even if it’s with the team that signed Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to offer sheets.
Skinner could take Brandon Saad’s left-wing spot on the top line with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich. Saad only has seven goals and 16 points in 38 games, which is only slightly better than Skinner, and he shoots less than Skinner does.
St. Louis won’t go down in the playoff race without a fight, and picking up Skinner in a trade that won’t cost them very much sounds like the type of deal Armstrong would find palatable.
Related: Edmonton Oilers May Need To Make Tough Trade Decisions In 2025
Utah Hockey Club
The Utah Hockey Club is the NHL’s eighth-worst team on offense at 2.79 goals-for per game. They’re also fighting for a wild-card playoff berth in the Western Conference. So if Edmonton doesn’t want to work with the Blues, they could send Skinner to their division rival, and it’d be worthwhile for the player as well.
Utah wants to make a big first-year splash, and making the playoffs would do that. Skinner might see Utah as a place where he can turn things around, as there’s easily room for him on one of the top two lines and a need for players who can shoot. That sounds like a good fit for Skinner and Utah HC.
Again, it won’t cost Utah much in any trade – it’s more about Skinner’s no-trade clause and convincing him Utah is a place he should want to be at the moment. And there are no future issues with keeping Skinner around beyond this season. Utah is a young team still finding its identity, and if Skinner came in and provided a boost on offense, whatever draft picks or prospects they’d give up to Edmonton would be assets well-spent.
Related: Evander Kane’s Impact At Full Health More Important For Oilers Than Negligible Cap Boost
Get the latest news and trending stories by saving The Hockey News’ latest content on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum.
Read the full article here
Discussion about this post