Edmonton Oilers forward Jeff Skinner will be a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, as confirmed by head coach Kris Knoblauch to team reporter Tony Brar.

This is the second time in seven games that Skinner has been held out of the lineup. The previous instance was in late December, during a matchup against the Anaheim Ducks, which the Oilers lost 5-3.

In Thursday’s contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Skinner logged just 8:16 of ice time, the seventh time this season his minutes have dipped below 10 in a game. In his first season with the Oilers, the 32-year-old forward has appeared in 40 games, contributing seven goals and eight assists for 15 points. It’s fair to say these numbers likely fall short of expectations.

Skinner signed a one-year, $3-million contract with Edmonton in the offseason after the Buffalo Sabres bought out the final three years of his previous deal. Last season with the Sabres, he recorded 46 points (24 goals, 22 assists) in 74 games, ranking seventh on the team in scoring.

Selected seventh overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2010 NHL Draft, Skinner has put together a solid NHL career. Over 1,046 games with Carolina, Buffalo, and Edmonton, he has tallied 364 goals and 321 assists for 685 points. He made an immediate impact as a rookie, posting 63 points in 82 games for the Hurricanes and earning the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie.

However, despite his individual success, Skinner has yet to make a Stanley Cup Playoff appearance in his 15-year career. That’s a statistic that underscores his challenges in finding team success at this level.

As the Oilers prepare to face the Blackhawks, they hold a strong position in the Pacific Division standings with a 25-13-3 record and 53 points. While the team looks poised for another playoff run, Skinner’s focus will undoubtedly be on earning his way back into the lineup and contributing to the Oilers’ postseason aspirations.