People who follow the Edmonton Oilers likely saw this coming with Jeff Skinner.
The Oilers scratched the veteran forward in Game 2 despite him waiting 15 years to see playoff action.
After losing 6-5 to the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1, the Oilers sat Skinner to get Evander Kane in the lineup in Game 2. Understandably, Edmonton wanted a bit more grit on the ice, and Kane’s first game this season after recovering from multiple injuries was a major storyline.
The lineup changes didn’t result in a better outcome. Instead of losing a close one, the Oilers suffered a 6-2 drubbing to the Kings.
This does not suggest that wins or losses are riding on the success or failure of Jeff Skinner in an Oilers uniform. However, after waiting 15 years and playing over 1,000 NHL games, Skinner’s long-anticipated playoff debut lasted just one game before he was sent to the press box. It proved to be a mistake.
Skinner and Connor McDavid built up great chemistry in the final week of the regular season, but they weren’t played together in Game 1, and a scratch for Skinner meant they were not being reunited in Game 2. McDavid didn’t record a point on Wednesday.
Skinner earned his way onto the playoff roster. The 32-year-old left winger had a solid final stretch of the regular season, notching nine goals and five assists for 14 points and a plus-10 rating over his final 29 games. He heard the criticism from the coach early in the campaign about needing to play good hockey, and he made improvements.
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While some might argue he hasn’t performed up to expectations after he signed as a free agent last summer, he’s not the only one who hasn’t panned out this season.
Trade acquisition Trent Frederic was in and, again, not incredibly effective, with 10:12 of ice time, a minus-1 rating and five hits. John Klingberg returned from LTIR and recorded an assist in Game 2, but he hasn't been healthy long enough to be the key offensive threat the Oilers were hoping he might be on the back end when they signed him in mid-January.
Skinner’s playoff debut didn’t feature any eye-popping moments, but he didn’t look out of place, certainly wasn’t any worse than some other players on the ice, and his production didn’t warrant removal. He got an assist, after all, when he drove the net and put the puck into a scramble for Mattias Janmark to eventually bury.
Pulling Skinner seemed a hasty decision, especially when morale and momentum are critical when down in the series. Now, the team must decide what to do in Game 3 on home ice.
Skinner is a seasoned veteran whose excitement to finally hit the ice in the post-season was palpable. If he slots back in, the pressure of the fans and the must-win nature of the game could bring out his best… or his worst.
How he was deployed this season meant that Skinner was a likely candidate to sit if all other forwards were healthy. It’s honestly not clear from the way the Oilers are playing if everyone is 100 percent. Even if they were, Skinner can be helpful. Bringing him back into the lineup for Game 3 would be wise, but it’s hard to know what impact he’ll make.
On paper, his experience and his offensive upside make this a no-brainer decision, but this is no longer just about numbers. It’s about reading people, the emotion of the moment and the weight of making the right or wrong call. The coach is now grasping at whatever will turn things around.
Jeff Skinner deserves a real shot to show he can deliver. He’s waited 15 years for this opportunity. Taking it away seems like a mistake.
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