“Leo takes up a lot of attention out there, he creates a lot of space for his wingers. Me and Arvie, it’s our job to kind of work off that, use that space he creates”
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It’s not a lot of fun being in the wrong place at the wrong time for 14 straight years.
But that’s where Jeff Skinner, through no fault of his own, had been stuck since he first set foot in the NHL.
In eight seasons with Carolina, the Hurricanes only broke the 90-point barrier once, 91 in 2010. In the combination train wreck/dumpster fire that was the Buffalo Sabres rebuild, hope would bleed out by Christmas.
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Despite putting up 357 goals in 1,006 games, Skinner spent every stretch drive playing out a frayed and hopeless string. And when that string came to an end, he packed up his gear and repeated the same annual battle cry: Just wait till next year.
Well, next year is now.
His one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers — playing on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Viktor Arvidsson on a Stanley Cup contender — is as fresh a start as he’s ever going to get.
“I think every team comes into the year with optimism and excitement but obviously it’s a little different because of the run the guys went on last year and the experience they gained,” said the 32-year-old winger. “It’s obviously a great group. I’m really excited to join them. Everyone knows the expectations here.”
Skinner’s expectation, the main reason he signed here (one year, $3 million) is that he is about to end his career-long post-season drought and go on a deep playoff charge. Edmonton’s expectation is that Skinner will play a big role in making that run happen.
The Oilers spent years longing for legitimate top six wingers to complement Draisaitl and now they have two. Arvidsson is the tenacious forechecker and solid two-way player who flirts with 30 goals most years and Skinner is the natural finisher, posting 33, 35, 37 and 40 goal campaigns over his last six full seasons.
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On paper, this sounds like the start of something special, giving Edmonton the second wave of offence it’s never really had before. The goal now is to transform that potential from paper to ice.
The trio showed a flash of what they are capable of Wednesday night in Seattle, throwing the puck around the Kraken zone to set up Edmonton’s first goal. They know there is still a long way to go before the chemistry sets in and everything becomes second nature, but Skinner shares the same optimism fans and management do.
This line could be huge.
“We each bring a little something to the line,” he said. “Leo takes up a lot of attention out there, he creates a lot of space for his wingers. Me and Arvie, it’s our job to kind of work off that, use that space he creates.
“Arvie is great to play with, too. He works really hard, he’s really smart. He’s been successful in the past and there are reasons for that. Getting to play with those two guys has been fun so far.”
As for the chemistry, that’s going to take some time. None of them have played with each other before and even their pre-season time together has been limited, so this figures to be a work in progress.
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But even though he hasn’t been a Draisaitl linemate for long, Skinner can already see what all the fuss is about and realizes playing on this line is a coveted spot in the NHL.
“The more time you spend with guys in practice the more appreciation you have for them, the more you appreciate some of the nuances in their game. It’s one of those things where little details make a big difference and obviously the reason he’s as great as he is is because of all those details.
“Everyone knows his skill set but playing with him the last little while and seeing him up close, in traffic he’s really, really good. He beats guys in traffic so other guys have to come in and help and that creates space and opportunities for his teammates. That’s why he’s such a great distributor and passer; he has a great awareness when he goes into traffic to make plays. And he can finish it pretty well, too.”
But don’t expect Skinner’s goal total to skyrocket now that he’s skating alongside Draisaitl. He had elite line mates in Buffalo, too, where almost 25 per cent of his production (21 of his last 92 goals) came on the man advantage.
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Given that Edmonton’s first unit power play isn’t taking applications at the moment, he’ll have to make most of his bones at even strength. He’s cool with that.
“The power play here is. … it’s probably the best ever,” he said. “At five on five there’s not as much space so you have to find ways to break teams down as a unit.
“The majority of the game is played five-on-five, so the more successful you can be in that situation the more chance you have of winning.”
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