It’s a done deal that Jeff Skinner will be on his way out of Edmonton at some point before the trade deadline. The only question is, who should acquire the ailing forward?
Or better yet, who in their right mind wants a forward who’s logged a paltry 12:31 of average total ice time and has just seven goals and 15 points in 41 games? Well, there’s one bold general manager out there and one team who would take on, how should I say it, a misfit?
Misfit is the key word, and if you know anything about it in the NHL, you know where I’m going with this. Jack Eichel went to Vegas and became a stud with the Golden Knights. You can argue he’s their best player to date and his 55 points, albeit 11 goals, in 44 games drives that point through the roof.
Want more fun? What about the long-forgotten Victor Olofsson? Hey, Olofsson’s the part-time player he needs to be in this league, but he’s got 17 points and a whopping nine goals in 24 appearances, with 15:55 of average total ice time to show for it. Six of those goals have come on, you guessed it, the power play, and he’s rocking a 17.0 shooting percentage.
Jeff Skinner needs to join forces with a pair of former Sabres forwards
Now, would Skinner rediscover some of that magic he had while with the Sabres in Vegas? Of course not. No, Skinner needs to make peace with the fact he’s no longer a relevant full-time player in this league, but it doesn’t mean he can’t be effective in a niche role.
Obviously, Olofsson proved he can still do that and remain one of the league’s better power play specialists. That said, Skinner could be one of those rotational wingers who would factor in as a depth scorer whenever the Knights face an opponent who they may need to score four-plus goals to get the better of.
Plus, he’d finally, after so many years of trying and frustration, play in a playoff game. Not that it wouldn’t be the case if he ultimately stuck around Edmonton. But as I said, that’s probably not the best outlet for him at the moment, considering his body of work since he arrived in Alberta.
Overall, Skinner wouldn’t return outstanding dividends regardless of where he ultimately ends up. But the former Sabres forward also isn’t anywhere near the twilight of his career, so he’ll bring value to a place like Vegas.