Jeff Skinner has experienced a lot over 1,078 NHL games. The energy and excitement of a playoff game, though, have eluded him so far.
That will change Monday when Skinner and the Edmonton Oilers take the ice for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings.
The chance to go on a post-season run is part of what drew Skinner to Edmonton as a free agent last summer.
“Obviously coming here, my first year here, and I knew that we have a pretty good team, we want to try and be a part of it,” the veteran forward said Sunday.
“And, it’s a good feeling. You kind of work toward it the whole year. So we all worked together toward it, and now we try and get rolling.”
Drafted seventh overall by the Hurricanes in 2010, Skinner spent the first eight seasons of his career as part of Carolina’s rebuild.
He was dealt to Buffalo in 2019 and spent six years with a Sabres side that hasn’t played a post-season game since 2011.
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No one goes into the NHL season thinking they’re going to miss the playoffs – especially 14 years in a row, Skinner said.
“Every year you kind of feel like coming into the year, like every other team, you feel like you’ve got a chance,” he said. “And you try and work toward your goal and you come up short and you don’t get to experience it. And then, obviously, just keep plugging away.”
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Never before has an NHL player appeared in 1,078 regular-season games and not a single playoff game.
The feat hasn’t gone unnoticed by Skinner’s teammates.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid handed the 32-year-old forward the team’s player-of-the game award – a wrestling belt – in the locker room after Edmonton clinched it’s post-season berth. Video of the moment shows Skinner’s wide smile and laughter as his teammates applaud.
“That’s a long time. That’s a great career for most,” McDavid told reporters. “So the fact that he’s never played in a playoff game is unique. Obviously, excited for him to get that opportunity. We know how fun it is. … It’s the best hockey, it’s so fun. So glad that he’ll get that experience.”
Skinner played 72 regular-season games for Edmonton, contributing 16 goals and 13 assists.
The totals were well off the career-high 82 points he registered with the Sabres in 2022-23, but Skinner believes the second half of his first season with the Oilers was better than the first.
“It’s kind of a day-by-day thing, and you try and sort of keep improving maybe in different parts of the season,” he said. “You go through slumps. You go through sort of good stretches where you try and keep that momentum going. … I want to try and keep building, keep getting better, just like everyone else.”
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch also thinks Skinner’s play improved over the course of the campaign.
“I wouldn’t say it was up and down. I would say it was down and just continued to rise up,” Knoblauch said. “I think he’s doing well. … And throughout playoffs, I hope it continues to rise.”
Skinner skated on a line with Adam Henrique and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on Sunday as the Oilers got in one final practice before the playoff campaign begins.
Everyone in Edmonton’s locker room is eagerly anticipating the post-season, Skinner said — himself included.
“I think it’s just one of those things where everyone’s excited. Obviously, I’m not the only guy going out being excited,” he said. “So I think it’ll be fun to get things going and fun to do it with this group.”
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