The Edmonton Oilers got painfully close to a Stanley Cup title last year. They fell one game short to the Florida Panthers in the Cup Final and are looking to get back and finally grab the franchise's sixth title. Part of the Oilers' offseason was signing Jeff Skinner to a 1-year contract after he was bought out by the Buffalo Sabres. It was hardly the biggest move made over the summer, but it can pay off in spades for the Oilers.
Jeff Skinner will crack 70 points with Oilers
The benefit of signing with the Oilers is who Skinner will be playing with. In all likelihood, he will be on the second line with Leon Draisaitl. Playing the wing with one of the best passers in the league who also happens to be a 50-goal-caliber player will do great things for Skinner's stat line. He has only broken 70 points once in his career but expect him to get to that number again.
Skinner provides a drastic improvement over Draisaitl's linemates during the playoffs. He ended their run playing with Warren Foegele and Dylan Holloway. Foegele had a career-best 20 goals and 41 points as a member of the top six. Now that he is with the Los Angeles Kings, Skinner provides an offensive upgrade for that spot.
Jeff Skinner becomes a playoff performer
Jeff Skinner is the only player in league history to play in over 1000 regular season games and no playoff games. His time in Carolina came before their playoff days and the Sabres have the longest playoff drought in the league. Now, he joins a team with two of the best players in the world and Stanley Cup aspirations.
Skinner's long wait will pay off for the Oilers and he will perform well come next spring. The Oilers had five forwards score over ten points in their recent playoff run and Skinner could join them next year. With the long wait finally coming to an end and a stellar regular season behind him, Skinner will perform well when the playoffs come around.
Multi-year extension with the Oilers
Combine all of those things, and you get a perfect fit for the Oilers. They are always looking for low-cost secondary scoring to supplement their top players. It has been a difficult line to toe for the front office during Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl's careers to find productive scoring to play alongside them. If Skinner provides the scoring the Oilers are looking for, expect an extension from new general manager Stan Bowman next summer.
The key part of signing Skinner to an extension is his contract situation with the Sabres. Buffalo bought him out in June and will be paid by them until 2030. He can afford to sign low-cost deals, like his $3 million average annual value on his one-year deal for 2024-25. Skinner is also just 32 years old and has plenty of miles left on his tires. He and the Oilers are a perfect fit for one another and the relationship will continue past 2025.
Jeff Skinner 2024-25 predictions: 27 goals, 45 assists, 72 points in regular season. 7 goals, 11 assists, 18 points in playoffs. Signs a 3-year, $3.25 million contract in the offseason.
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