Oilers’ Jeff Skinner ended record 15-seasons NHL Playoff Dürre

Los Angeles-Jeff Skinner, striker of Edmonton Oilers, was on Monday in the line-up for the first playoff game of his 15-year NHL career.

Skinner owned the NHL record for most of the regular season without a post-season appearance at 1,078. This drought ended in game 1 against Los Angeles Kings. He had to play with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Trent Frederic in a line that all missed to one game after he was acquired by the oilers on March 4th due to an ankle injury.

“It’s nice,” said Skinner. “Every year you feel like you will come to the year like any other team. You feel like you have a chance and try to work on your goal, and you can come briefly and you cannot experience it. You just close away again and again.

“For me, here, here, in my first year here, I knew that we had a pretty good team and I tried to be part of it. It’s a good feeling. You work on it all year round and we have worked together and now we are trying to roll.”

Skinner played the first eight seasons of his career at the Carolina Hurricanes, followed by six with the Buffalo Sabres. After Skinner was bought by the Sabres in June 2024 in June 2024, he was one of the most important Free Agent obligations of the Oilers last summer. The six-time top scorer of 30 goals was aimed at giving Leon Draisaitl more more established NHL wingers than he had last season.

The first part of the season was a fight. Skinner hardly made it through the training camp next to Draisaitl and, before the end of the home stock with four games, was completely exclusively. The ice age had dried out and a tangible role was difficult to get.

Skinner was held from the line -up on December 29, the first of 10 healthy scratches. Nevertheless, his performance improved drastically from there.

In his last 37 games, the 32-year-old produced 2.04 points per 60 minutes from the new year per natural statistics trick. This rate was third in the team behind McDavid and Draisaitl. The Oilers surpassed the opponents with 21-10 with Skinner on the ice during this period with five-to-five games.

After this first healthy scratches, ten of his 16 goals came. Knoblauch said Skinner’s climb was constant. It wasn’t easy.

“If you had a great season in half, I will probably feel better in my second half,” he said.

The Oilers have Skinner, who were about to give his playoff debut.

Captain Connor McDavid presented him with the wrestling belt, which was usually reserved for someone who made an effective offensive contribution during a game after the oilers had won their sixth post -season on April 11th.

“This is a great career for most, so it is the fact that he never played in a playoff game,” said McDavid. “It is exciting for him to get this opportunity. We know how much fun it is. We know that it is the best time of the year.

“I am glad that he gets this experience.”

The smile on Skinner’s face when he got the belt said everything.

“I was happy. We have a pretty tight group and everyone is aware of what’s going on,” said Skinner on Sunday. “Obviously it’s a story for me, but I think everyone was happy that day.”

Zach Hyman is particularly enthusiastic that Skinner gets the chance. They were smaller hockey teammates with the Canadia in Toronto JR .. Hyman is about to appear in his 86th Nach season competition. Last spring alone, he had 16 goals and 22 points in 25 games.

“If you told us at 7 or 8 that we would play together in the playoffs, it would be pretty cool. I don’t think we would have believed them,” said Hyman. “He is a great guy. He went through a lot in his career, gave a lot through this year and has recently found a certain success and will be someone who helps us in the playoffs.”

Jake Walman, who was in the line -up on Monday after missing the last five games with an injury, knows what Skinner is going through. Walman is 29 years old, but was appropriate for the St. Louis Blues in 2021 in just one post -season.

“This is what everyone wants to play in the playoffs. That is what matters,” he said. “We are happy for him. He now has the chance. He is a great player and he deserves it. He should have been in the playoffs much earlier.”

That may be true, but at least Skinner’s run is over now. He couldn’t be happy about it.

“I got a lot of questions,” he said with a laugh.

His linemate Frederic was referred to by garlic as a seasonal decision. The Oilers acquired Frederic before the closure end, even though he had his existing injury. On April 5, he only played 7:10 a.m. in his Oilers debut because he suffered a setback. For the rest of the regular season, he was out of the way for the rest of the regular season.

Frederic, like someone, sounded ready to return to the campaign on Monday.

“I’m not trying to think about challenges,” he said. “Just go out, make my feet in motion, physically to start immediately and to come into play immediately. I know that the playoff hockey from my past experience is very quick from my past experience. It is different from the regular season. Everyone will play at a high speed. It will be physical.”

(Photo: Neville E. Wache / Imagn Pictures)