BLOG: Skinner swayed by desire from Oilers to add his talents

EDMONTON, AB – Aside from the skill present on the Oilers roster, forward Jeff Skinner said the desire shown by the Blue & Orange to secure his signature on July 1 was a big factor in him landing in Edmonton for the 2024-25 NHL season on a one-year deal with an AAV of $3 million.

“For me, I think the thing that stood out the most about the Oilers aside from the fact they're a great hockey team, and that's kind of number one on my list, was the consistent interest they showed throughout the day,” said Skinner over a video call on Tuesday morning.

When navigating a sea of prospective offers from multiple teams around the NHL on the opening day of free agency, that detail of being wanted by the Oilers resonated for the six-time 30-goalscorer in the NHL, who’s surpassed 40 once in '18-19 season with the Buffalo Sabres and is excited about competing for a Stanley Cup in Edmonton’s top six and try to push into the playoffs for the first time in his 14-year career.

"For me, just personally getting a chance to be a part of this group is a great feeling. I think it gets you excited. Obviously, there's a ton of work to do. I think everyone realizes that. But being able to play with that group, I'm sure they've gained a lot of useful experience from the run they went on. And again, I'm just hoping to slide in, be a piece of the puzzle and contribute. I'm excited to get going.”

“You always want to help the team and produce, and in the past, my role has been to produce offensively,” he said. “Obviously, there are some guys in Edmonton that do that pretty well, so if I can kind of add to that mix and help complement some of those guys, I think it would be good for everyone.

"I think that's kind of my mindset. My goal is to fit in and be a piece of the puzzle and kind of bring the things that I do well to the team. Hopefully, we can all have some success.”

Skinner has continually been one of the League's most consistent goalscorers since being the seventh-overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft to the Carolina Hurricanes, remaining despite having yet to make a trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs over his 14 seasons as a player split between Carolina and Buffalo.

The 32-year-old played in his 1,000th NHL game this past season on Apr. 2 against Washington and has now amassed 357 goals in 1,006 career contests following a 48-point campaign (26 goals) in 74 games with the Sabres in '23-24.

Now with Edmonton, Skinner looks to find his place in the Oilers' top six as a first-shot scorer who can make the most of the space and opportunities created by linemates like Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl.

“It sounds pretty good. I think anyone in hockey would like the sound of that," Skinner said of his potential alongside No. 97 and No. 29.

"Those are two of the best centres in the League. I think that’s pretty safe to say as a winger. I try to read off the centre and those guys create a ton of space. They get a lot of attention from the other team. They make unbelievably high-end skill plays. I'm sure I could go on. I'd think you guys [the media] have probably heard it all, but as a winger, you can't ask for anything more than that. Obviously, those two guys are big pulls. I'm excited to get out there and play with them.”

Despite the opportunity, Skinner isn't taking this as a chance to coast next to two of the game's greatest offensive talents – he wants to elevate his ability and maintain his reputation around the League as a consistent goalscorer, and having the opportunity to tap into Edmonton's incredible depth at forward has him excited for his potential in Blue & Orange.

“I think every player has their own standards for themselves and puts pressure on themselves in their own way. I think it's hard to really quantify," Skinner said. "I don't think it's something where I go there and just kind of take it easy and things go my way. I think you have to work for everything you get in this League.

"Having said that, all the talented players help everyone. I think I've had the opportunity to play with some pretty good players over my career and it's a nice thing to have when you have guys that play the game at a high level and think the game at a high level. For me, just thinking about it as a linemate, you're trying to read off guys. There's not much more you can ask for there."