Edmonton Oilers
Jeff Skinner Returns to Oilers Lineup Amid Doghouse Rumors
Jeff Skinner will return to the lineup for the Edmonton Oilers amid rumors that he might be in the doghouse with his coach.
Amid rumors he’s in the doghouse and talk that the Oilers don’t have a spot for him in their forward mix, Jeff Skinner is set to return to the Edmonton Oilers lineup Tuesday evening. Previously scratched from the roster, Skinner coming back in as Edmonton takes on the Utah Hockey Club on New Year’s Eve might signal head coach Kris Knoblauch having a change of heart or making a switch to adjust for an illness or injury to another player.
It was just 24 hours ago that Knoblauch talked about giving Skinner more opportunities if a player were injured or the level of production among other top-six forwards dropped. Perhaps the game on Sunday in Anaheim opened the door for Knoblauch to make a change. Few forwards were good in that game. The justification to pull someone is there.
At the same time, Skinner knows he has to be better. When Knoblauch said he needed Skinner to “play good hockey,” that had to be a wake-up call for the veteran, who has not lived up to expectations since signing a free-agency contract this offseason. “As a player, you focus on working hard, doing your job, and getting better every day, trying to contribute to the team the best way you can,” Skinner stated after Oilers practice on Monday.
Was Skinner’s Healthy Scratch Not That Big a Story?
During back-to-back matchups, it is a common NHL tactic to manage the roster by sitting players who might not otherwise sit. And, when you factor in the mom’s trip and wanting to get every player in, that could explain part of the motivation is sitting Skinner. That said, it’s fair to argue he needs to do more.
We’re still awaiting word as to who will sit with Skinner back in. No announcement has been made regarding an injury or illness, but we’ll update this post should that information become available.
With Skinner back in action, all eyes will be on how his return impacts the Oilers’ play and whether he can make an impact in whatever limited minutes he might get. It is not assumed he will be slotted into a top-six role, so he’ll need to make the most of bottom-six minutes.
That’s not exactly his forte, but he might be motivated after sitting and become a spark for the team.
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