Jeff Skinner Hits Rock Bottom in Edmonton After Brutal Start to Playoffs

Oilers' Jeff Skinner has hit a new low, as he has not played a single game since Game 1 of the first round, and he may not see the ice again this season.

Jeff Skinner waited a long time, not five, not 10, but 15 years, to finally get a taste of the NHL playoffs. After a decade with the Carolina Hurricanes and then a trade to the Buffalo Sabres, the veteran forward had never once played in a playoff game.

Year after year, his teams either didn't make the cut or fell short when it counted most. That all seemed ready to change this season.

Following a buyout by the Sabres last summer, Skinner signed with the Edmonton Oilers in the hopes of finally chasing a championship. It was a calculated move, one rooted in the necessity of playing when the games mattered most.

The regular season was unkind to him. He registered only 29 points, though he did manage 16 goals. Fortunately, the Oilers played up to expectations and qualified for the playoffs.

Finally, at the ripe old age of 32, Skinner played his first playoff game, which was in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Kings.

Skinner was scratched immediately after he played his very first playoff game

It finally appeared that things were looking up for him and that the future was now bright. And then, as suddenly as it began, it was over.