Game 5 Can’t Be an Opportunity Wasted for Oilers’ Jeff Skinner

It has not been made official that Jeff Skinner will be in the lineup for Game 5, but with Zach Hyman done for the season and Connor Brown still out with an injury, Skinner looks like the guy, and this could be the opening he needed.

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Ready to make an impact and patiently waiting for a chance to get back into playoff action, few are likely as motivated as Jeff Skinner, who throughout the 2024-25 season was underused, underappreciated, and often disrespected when his numbers showed he was a pretty solid hockey player.

Granted, there are some things Skinner doesn’t do as well as others. He’s not the kind of guy to come in for Hyman, hit everything that moves, and then pot in a goal or two every couple of games. However, he can score, he does shoot, and he has good hockey sense, enough to keep up with the best players in the game and certainly sufficient not to become a liability.

Game 5 Is Skinner’s Chance to Impact Oilers Lineup

Based on how the season went, Skinner may not get another look beyond Game 5. Even when he produced, the winger was often sat in favor of other players. Even when he scored, chipped in offense, or played a 200-foot game, his stints in the lineup didn’t last.

That means his best bet is to treat this game like it could be his last. Leave everything on the ice. And, if he’s lucky, he’ll become undeniable.

Skinner played 1,078 regular-season games before finally reaching the playoffs. He played in one game and was made a healthy scratch immediately after it. He’s now getting a chance to rewrite the narrative about his contributions to a contender.

This is not an opportunity Skinner can afford to waste.

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