Oilers 2024-25 Report Cards: Jeff Skinner

As the offseason rolls on, we continue with the Edmonton Oilers’ player grades. The last report card graded Troy Stecher, and now we move on to Jeff Skinner. The Oilers signed Skinner to a one-year deal with a $3 million cap hit after he was bought out by the Buffalo Sabres, in an attempt to solidify the top six and add another scoring threat. However, things didn’t work out, and he wound up in head coach Kris Knoblauch’s dog house for the majority of the season. The 33-year-old winger was healthy scratched 10 times, and when he did play, he was in the bottom six. His style of play isn’t suited for a bottom-six role, so he wasn’t utilized to the best of his abilities.

Skinner wasn’t given a fair shake in Edmonton, but despite that, he still scored 16 goals and added 29 points with a plus-1 rating. His 16 goals were still fifth on the team, averaging 13:00 per game, a career low. The Toronto native is a pure goalscorer, having recorded one 40-goal season, six 30-goal seasons, and ten 20-goal seasons in his career. In 15 NHL seasons, he’s been under 20 goals just five times, including last season.

Skinner didn’t mesh with Knoblauch’s coaching style and didn’t get an opportunity to succeed. As a result, he inked a one-year, $3 million deal with the San Jose Sharks this offseason because he needed a fresh start. He had high expectations coming into Edmonton, but like Viktor Arvidsson’s tenure, many fans were left underwhelmed. Those were the two big signings for the Oilers last offseason, but they didn’t fit in the system. However, Skinner was still a solid player and still had an offensive impact, so let’s break down his 2024-25 season.

Skinner’s Overall Grade

Skinner was relatively productive despite his limited minutes and lack of opportunities. He didn’t play much with Leon Draisaitl or Connor McDavid, and didn’t get a lot of quality power-play minutes. He didn’t score on the man advantage, but 14 of his goals came at 5-on-5, with two coming with the extra attacker. The 2010 first-round pick was productive at even strength, and that’s what the team required. If he had a chance in the top six consistently, he would’ve easily netted 20 goals, but his defensive inefficiencies were a contributor to his limited role.

With that said, he had a decent season, all things considered, and contributed offensively in a bottom-six role. Therefore, he gets a B for his regular season play. This grade might be a bit high, but he made the most of his opportunities and should be recognized for that.