Losing both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl isn’t something anyone should ever think about. It’s a nightmare scenario for the Edmonton Oilers, but unfortunately it’s the current reality. Though both are likely out of the lineup for a maximum of one week, and the Oilers are firmly in a playoff spot, this isn’t the worst time for the two horses to rest up.
In fact, it’s probably the best time for the team to see who else on the roster can step up when it’s needed, and who might be the key depth pieces in the playoffs.
So far, Jeff Skinner has answered the bell.
A monster performance against Seattle
Skinner has really found his groove the past two games when the Oilers were depleted up front. He has put up three goals, seven shots, and four hits. This has come with a massive increase in TOI – he has averaged 17:52 TOI the past two contests, compared to a season average of just 12:34.
His underlying numbers have been excellent, too. Here are his possession and expected goal shares from the past two games.
| CF% | xGF% | SCF% | HDCF% |
| 67.64706 | 64.65257 | 65.625 | 63.15789 |
Not only has Skinner put the puck in the net, he’s doing it off extremely strong and dominant play. He’s pushing the puck up ice and really controlling the pace of play.
Skinner deserves more ice time
If these past two games have shown us anything, it’s that Skinner is deserving of more ice time. He’s a skilled player with creativity and offensive instincts; you have to give him enough time to work in the offensive zone.
In the past two games, Skinner has played primarily with Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown on the third line. There isn’t anything wrong with Skinner being outside the top-six, but if he isn’t getting enough time to cook in the offensive zone, he should be moved up the lineup. He isn’t a defensive third-line grinder, and he has clearly shown what he’s capable of when given the opportunity to be creative and play offensive hockey.
When the big boys return to the lineup, it is imperative that the Oilers keep Skinner in a prime situation. His current line is okay, but when both McDavid and Draisaitl are back, it will be hard to get the third line into offensive situations. At that point, it might be best for Skinner to be promoted to the top-six.
Regardless, it’s great to see flashes of the Skinner Oilers fans expected they’d see when he was signed in the offseason. If Skinner is going, it adds a much needed boost to the Oilers’ depth, and will be key come playoff time.
