Oilers Have Only One Play to Make with a Struggling Jeff Skinner

With a full no-move clause in his contract, a struggling Jeff Skinner isn’t going anywhere. The Edmonton Oilers might be frustrated with his lack of production and chemistry on the top lines but he’s not being traded and he’s not being demoted. The only option is to wait out his issues, hope he comes around, and limit his ice time, which it appears Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch has done.

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Skinner is in the dog house early, but he’s too good a player to stay there forever. During the 4-3 overtime win over the New York Islanders, Skinner played a season-low 8:53. A costly error (some argue it wasn’t his fault) on an over-aggressive attack on Ryan Pulock when the Islanders scored their second goal of the night led to Skinner not seeing the ice much. He was a plus/minus – 1 and with three goals and three assists on the season, things haven’t gone as well as Skinner and the Oilers might have liked.

This is a player that was supposed to be a lock for 20-plus goals this season. He’s posted several 30-plus goal campaigns throughout his career and with elite talent like Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl as his centers, the Oilers were counting on Skinner to put up big points. He hasn’t done so.

Worse than that, he’s not playing the kind of hockey the Oilers like to play. Despite being a slower group than last year, Edmonton likes to go north-south and make quick strikes, getting the puck to McDavid and Draisaitl in transition. Skinner prefers to hold onto the puck, using his edges and smooth skating to go east and west before making his move. At times, it works. That said, it’s a bit of a contrast in styles.

When asked earlier this week about what he thinks about when playing with McDavid, he joked, “Just try to keep up.” The comment was tongue-in-cheek, but it wasn’t all that far from reality. That appears to be a problem in the early going.

Does the Coach Know How To Use Skinner?

The issue might not be that the coach is upset with the player; it might be more about Kris Knoblauch not knowing how best to use him. Skinner might not be the kind of player Knoblauch trusts. Skinner has never been a defensively responsible player and two games in a row he’s been sat with his minutes decreased.

Skinner doesn’t get top power play time, even though he would be solid there and he’s not a penalty killer.

Skinner is going to have to show his coach something if he wants to get back in his good books, but he’s getting less and less ice time to prove himself. It’s an issue. The problem is that there isn’t much the Oilers can do about it given the contract Skinner is signed to. This one is going to have to sort itself out thanks to better play and Skinner buying in.

Next: Just Shy of 1000: McDavid’s Four Points Leads Oilers Over Islanders in OT