One of the most sought-after free agents entering July was bought out by the Buffalo Sabres ahead of July 1 and chose to sign with the Edmonton Oilers once free agency opened.
Jeff Skinner was waived by the Sabres and opted to ink a one-year, $3 million contract with the Oilers instead of his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs.
According to NHL insider Chris Johnston, Skinner snubbed the Leafs to sign with the rival and Stanley Cup finalists from Edmonton. Toronto was one of the teams in contention to sign the bought-out forward, but the Oilers beat them to his signing.
“He’s going there [Edmonton] clearly to win. I mean, he could have signed for one year and $3 million in about ten spots,” Johnston said on the July 2 episode of The Chris Johnston Show. “I know the Leafs were among the teams that had talked to him and were trying to pitch him in the idea, ‘Hey, you can play alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on our team!’”
Skinner signed an eight-year, $72 million contract with the Sabres in June 2019 but Buffalo cut him ahead of free agency before the 2024-25 season. After that, Skinner entered free agency and signed with the team of his choice.
Instead of opting for the pairing of Matthews and Marner referenced by Johnston, Skinner ultimately decided he would be better off signing with the Oilers’ duo of superstars comprised of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Skinner Signs With Stanley Cup Runner-Up
Skinner signed a bargain deal with the Oilers inking a one-year, $3 million deal. The franchise announced the agreement on July 1. As a result, he went from potentially earning $9 million during each of the final two seasons of his contract with Buffalo to just that figure in a single year.
“For me personally, getting a chance to be a part of that group I think is a great feeling, it gets you excited,” Skinner said Tuesday, via NHL.com. “Obviously there’s a ton of work to do. I think everyone realizes that.
“But being able to play with that group, I’m sure they’ve gained a lot of useful experience on the run they went on and I’m hoping to slide in, be a piece of the puzzle and contribute, and I’m excited to get going.”
The Carolina Hurricanes drafted Skinner with the No. 7 pick in the 2010 NHL draft. He has amassed 357 goals and 313 assists for 670 total points in 1,006 games through the 2023-24 season.
Skinner won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie in 2011 and he’s coming off a 24-goal, 22-assist, 46-point season with the Sabres playing 74 games in 2024.
Among his new teammates, that 46-point figure was only topped in Edmonton by Zach Hyman, McDavid, and Draisaitl during the 2024 campaign. Furthermore, it also marked the third consecutive year for Skinner hitting the 45-point plateau.
In his 14-year career, however, Skinner has yet to play in an NHL playoff game, setting an NHL record. He became the first NHL player to hit the 1,000-game mark without a postseason appearance in April 2024.
Oilers’ Strong Offseason After Falling Short of Cup
The Oilers were one of the most active franchises at the start of free agency, signing at least 13 players, per Brian Swane of The Hockey Writers.
Some notable additions from outside the organization include Viktor Arvidsson, Josh Brown, and Connor Carrick.
Moreover, Edmonton also found a way to re-sign key players on expiring deals belonging to the team that reached the Stanley Cup Final. Among those, Connor Brown, Adam Henrique, and Mattias Janmark led the way.
Taking over Ken Holland after he departed the Oilers at the end of the season, new Oilers CEO Jeff Jackson completed a smooth job at the helm of the organization in his first offseason in that position.
Arvidsson and Skinner are the two biggest signings of Jackson’s free-agency haul, something he discussed on July 1, via Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic.
“Both of those guys are going to add a really nice element to our top six,” Jackson said.
According to Spotrac, the Oilers only lost four players to other teams at the start of free agency as Warren Foegele, Vincent Desharnais, Sam Carrick, and Jack Campbell left the organization as free agents.
Like Heavy.com’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy.com
The post Prolific Winger Snubs Maple Leafs to Sign With Oilers: Report appeared first on Heavy.com.