Skinner was recently bought out of an eight-year contract by the Buffalo Sabres, so money was not his top priority. That was good news for the Oilers, who signed him to a one-year deal worth $3-million. Skinner will make close to an extra $2.5 million from the buyout and has a lot to prove on a ‘bet on himself’ type of one-year contract.
The 32-year-old forward simply needed to get out of Buffalo, where the team has not made the playoffs since 2011 (Skinner has never played a playoff game). He can still score plenty of goals, and should do exactly that with the high-flying Oilers. Skinner has scored 40 once and 30 five other times in his career, including in 2022-23. He finished with 46 points (24 goals, 22 assists) in 74 games last season.
Here’s what Maxwell said about the contract:
“Considering that he has yet to make the playoffs in 14 years in the NHL, it seemed like a shoo-in that he’d sign a team-friendly deal with a Cup-contending team… Well, who better to do that with than the team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final last season? Skinner joins an Edmonton Oilers team that is almost identical to the squad that made the run to the Final, and the few changes can certainly be looked at as upgrades. It seems incredibly likely that they will end his playoff drought, and he might even get a chance at a Cup as well.”
Next up is Arvidsson. The gritty winger signed with Edmonton for two years and $8 million. He is coming off a down season, playing only 18 games due to injury and finishing with 15 points (six goals, nine assists). But the 31-year-old tallied 59 points (26 goals, 33 assists) in 77 games in 2022-23 and has hit 60 twice in his career. He should add another level of two-way depth but can also score. Precisely what the Oilers need.
Janmark was a huge story during the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final last season. Despite only recording 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 71 games during the regular season, the 31-year-old forward scored some huge goals in the postseason. He finished with eight points (four goals, four assists) in 25 playoff games, but scored goals in some of the biggest moments and when Edmonton needed it most, including twice short-handed. Bringing him back was the right move, and the Oilers got him for a nice price on a three-year, $4.35 million contract with a $1.45 million cap hit that should work out nicely for both sides.
