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The Edmonton Oilers continue their march through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, leading the Stars in their series. Still, the Oilers will need to make decisions in the offseason regarding their upcoming free agents. We look at the three best destinations for Edmonton Oilers winger Jeff Skinner in this 2025 NHL Free Agency season.
Skinner has played in his first playoff game ever this year, playing with the Oilers. Still, he has played in just one game so far in the playoffs, but could play in the next game for the Oilers, replacing Connor Brown. Still, it is clear that Skinner in Edmonton may not be a long-term option. Scoring-wise, this was his worst season since playing just 53 games in the 2020-21 season with the Sabres. Skinner has been a constant producer, scoring 40 or more points in eight of the last 12 seasons.
Jeff Skinner could be a re-signing option for the Oilers. The Oilers have just $9.125 million of cap space, and Skinner is their top-paid pending free agent. He made just three million last year, and projects to make similar to that according to Cap Wages. Still, at just $3 million, Skinner could be a viable option for multiple teams.
Jeff Skinner heads home
Jeff Skinner is from Marham, Ontario, which is just about 20 miles outside of Toronto. The Maple Leafs will be making an overhaul after another postseason failure. Skinner could fit well on the second line for the Maple Leafs. While John Tavares is a free agent, the bigger worry is Mitch Marner. Marner is an unrestricted free agent, while Matthew Knies is a restricted free agent. This gives major openings on the Maple Leafs' top line. While Knies could re-sign, if Marner leaves, this would most likely push William Nylander or Pontus Homeberg to the top line.
Skinner did struggle some in a non-primary role this year, scoring just 26 points. Still, he scored 40 or more points in each of his last three seasons with the Sabres. Meanwhile, Homeberg scored just 19 points this year, with seven goals and 12 assists. Skinner will be an upgrade on the second line, regardless of who returns for the Maple Leafs.
The Islanders fill a need
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Jeff Skinner could also return to the state of New York and join the Islanders. The Islanders traded away Brock Nelson during the season, losing a bunch of depth down the line. Further, Kyle Palmieri is an upcoming free agent, as is defenseman Noah Dobson. While Dobson does not factor as much into a decision to bring in Mangiapane, not having him on the roster contributes to the fact that the Islanders have $39 million in cap space this year.
Further, the Islanders need help on the third line. On the second line, they have a solid rotation with Maxim Tsyplakov, Jean-Gbariel Pageua, and Simon Holstrom. Still, the Islanders need help further down the line. Casey Cizikas was the top forward on the third line and came away with just seven goals and ten assists. Skinner's 29 points would put him on par with a second line played for the Islanders. Further, his time with Buffalo has shown that Skinner can be productive with subpar teammates. The Islanders are looking to return to the playoffs next season, and Skinner could be a solid missing part.
Skinner makes a cup run
Heading into the night of May 26th, Jeff Skinner has played in one career playoff game. The St. Louis Blues have made the playoffs in five of the last seven years, including winning the Cup in the 2018-19 season. While they missed the playoffs for two straight years, the Blues returned to the playoffs this year, using a long winning streak to make the playoffs and then taking the Presidents' Trophy winner to seven games. The Blues need help in the middle-six when it comes to forwards. The Blues have discussed moving Jordan Kyrou, which would make the need in the middle six even greater.
The top two lines have some big-time play-makers, but with questions around both Jordan Schenn and Jordan Kyrou, they need to address the middle six. The Blues are hoping to make another run at the Stanley Cup. If Skinner pairs with Kyrou on the second line, he would join him and poetnailly Brayden Shenn. Still, most likely, Skinner is joining the third line for the Blues. Zack Bolduc was the top-producing forward for the third line on the Blues. He scored 19 goals and 17 assists this past year. Skinner's 16 goals and 13 assists would put him on par with Bolduc, while Skinner also has consistently produced at a higher level. If he can return to his old production, Skinner would be a huge addition to the Blues' third line.
