The San Jose Sharks have made a notable addition to their forward group, announcing the signing of veteran Jeff Skinner to a one-year contract valued at $3 million. The deal, confirmed on Friday, brings a player with a long history of offensive production to the California coast.
Skinner, 33, joins the Sharks after spending the previous season with the Edmonton Oilers. In his lone year in Edmonton, he registered 29 points, consisting of 16 goals and 13 assists, across 72 regular-season games. The stint with the Oilers also marked a significant point in his career, as he appeared in the NHL playoffs for the first time in his 15 professional seasons. His playoff contribution was limited to five games, where he recorded one goal and one assist as the Oilers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.
Drafted seventh overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2010, Skinner made an immediate impact, earning the Calder Trophy as the league`s top rookie in 2010-11 with a 63-point campaign. His time in Carolina was followed by a trade to the Buffalo Sabres ahead of the 2018-19 season. It was in Buffalo where Skinner experienced his most significant offensive peaks, including a career-high 40 goals in his first season there and a remarkable 82-point performance (35 goals, 47 assists) during the 2022-23 season. The Sabres ultimately opted to buy out the remainder of his substantial contract in the summer of 2024, leading to his brief tenure in Edmonton.
With 699 career points from 373 goals and 326 assists accumulated over 1,078 games with the Hurricanes, Sabres, and Oilers, Skinner brings extensive experience to the Sharks. His signing represents a low-risk, potentially high-reward move for San Jose, providing a veteran presence and a player who, despite recent fluctuations in production, has demonstrated the ability to be a significant offensive contributor. For $3 million, the Sharks are acquiring a player who knows what it takes to hit significant scoring milestones, even if consistency has varied. It’s a pragmatic signing, offering Skinner a chance to prove his value on a shorter term while adding a proven, albeit recently less prolific, scorer to the Sharks` lineup.
Tristan Blackwood