Jeff Skinner, the 33-year-old winger, has officially signed a one-year contract valued at $3 million with the San Jose Sharks. This move comes as Skinner was among the few top unrestricted free agents still available as the NHL entered its second week of the new league year.
Throughout his career, Skinner has maintained an average of 0.65 points per game, showcasing his shooting capability with an 11.2% success rate over 1,078 regular-season games. However, his journey has been marked by inconsistent performances, leading the Buffalo Sabres to buy out the final three years of his eight-year, $72 million contract last summer.
Last season, Skinner joined the Edmonton Oilers under a similar contract but struggled to find his rhythm, managing only 16 goals and 29 points in 72 games — his lowest output in three years, playing an average of 13 minutes per game in a bottom-six role that did not utilize his offensive prowess.
With the Sharks, Skinner is expected to contribute significantly, addressing their need for veteran leadership while also adding depth to the roster. The Sharks are looking to avoid an early shift of promising young players like Collin Graf or Cameron Lund to the AHL and needed to ensure they remained above the salary cap floor whilst considering their surplus of defensemen.
This acquisition aims to invigorate the Sharks’ offense, which struggled last season, averaging just 2.54 goals per game, the lowest in the league. With his history of scoring, including six seasons with 30 or more goals, Skinner could play a crucial role in turning around San Jose’s fortunes offensive-wise.
This offseason, the Sharks have made limited moves to enhance their forward lineup, the most notable being the addition of enforcer Ryan Reaves through a trade, along with depth players Adam Gaudette and Philipp Kurashev. Instead, much of their focus has been on strengthening their defense, landing veterans such as John Klingberg, Nick Leddy, and Dmitry Orlov.
Following these transactions, the Sharks find themselves $4.36 million over the NHL’s lower salary cap threshold of $70.6 million, while maintaining ample flexibility with $20.54 million in available cap space. The team remains focused on integrating younger talents like Macklin Celebrini, William Eklund, and Will Smith, supported by the experience and stability that incoming veterans like Skinner provide.
In a hopeful context, the infusion of veteran skill sets like Skinner’s may provide the much-needed spark for the Sharks to improve their offensive game and foster the growth of their younger players in the upcoming season.