A tough season for Jeff Skinner got tougher Sunday as he was named a healthy scratch ahead of the Edmonton Oilers matinee game against the Anaheim Ducks.
Skinner, 32, signed a one-year, $3-million deal with the team this summer after the Buffalo Sabres bought out the remainder of his contract. The belief was Skinner would fit into the Oilers top-six alongside Leon Draisaitl on the second line, but that hasn’t been the case.
He had a cup of coffee there early in the season, spending 62 five-on-five minutes with Draisaitl, but it didn’t last long as Vasily Podkolzin quickly rocketed up the Oilers depth chart. Skinner has still found some ways to be productive this season, scoring six goals and 12 points in 35 games, averaging 2.26 shots on goal per game.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch spoke candidly last Sunday about Skinner, after the Oilers beat the Ottawa Senators 3-1.
“Just play good hockey,” he said. “I look at our team and who is he elevating? We’ve got a lot of guys that are playing really well right now. He’ll have his opportunity. The season’s long. There’s injuries, there’s guys that go through slumps.
Tonight I thought was a good game from him. Derek Ryan, Corey Perry, and Skinner played extremely well tonight. They spent a lot of time in the offensive zone, they’re around the net a lot. That’s what I expect from him.”
With Skinner drawing out of the lineup, Derek Ryan slid in onto the fourth line.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist, making up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.

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