Oilers Deadline Deal Looms! One Player’s Future Hangs in Balance

The Edmonton Oilers came within a goal of the Stanley Cup back in June. Over the summer, they sought to bolster their scoring depth to better their chances in the postseason. The Oilers signed Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson as part of their NHL Free Agency haul. At the time, the moves seemed like smart signings.

The moves themselves have not provided the best results on the ice. And yet, the Oilers are in good shape as a team. Edmonton is tied on points with the Los Angeles Kings for second in the Pacific Division. At this rate, they are staring down the barrel of a fourth straight meeting with the Kings in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Edmonton is certainly looking to make some upgrades before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. For instance, they could stand to add some scoring depth. And a new body on the blueline couldn’t hurt, either. The problem is Edmonton has little in the way of cap space. They are projected to have a little more than $1 million to work with on deadline day, according to PuckPedia.

Edmonton is going to have to get a bit creative in order to make the moves they want to make. This includes trading a veteran player off their roster in a cap dump. The Oilers have a prime candidate to trade as the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline draws closer.

Jeff Skinner has not panned out for Oilers

Jeff Skinner came to the Oilers with some hype around him. The veteran winger could not live up to his 82-point 2022-23 campaign. However, he still provided solid offensive numbers. On a one-year contract, it seemed as if Edmonton was getting a bit of a steal.

40 games later and any hype around him has died in the wind. Skinner has scored seven goals and 15 points during his Edmonton tenure. This places him on track for 14 goals and 31 points for the 2024-25 season. These totals are worse than his offensive output for the Buffalo Sabres in 2023-24.

Suffice it to say it has not worked out in Edmonton. In fact, he was even benched by the Oilers on December 29 because of his lack of offensive production. The veteran winger is a free agent at the end of this season, but his value has likely plummeted.

The Oilers should do what they can to trade Skinner before the NHL Trade Deadline on March 7th. For Edmonton, this is not about the return. They need added cap flexibility so they can bolster the roster in other ways.

Trading Skinner in a “hockey trade” could be the way to go. If the Oilers target a trade candidate on a rebuilding team, they could include the veteran winger in the deal. His $3 million cap hit could help offset a sizeable salary heading back to the Oilers. A selling team may hesitate to add him to the lineup. However, his cap hit could work to save them a valuable salary retention slot.

Skinner could be traded to another team with a draft pick. This is a route Edmonton may hesitate to go down. They are likely to trade draft capital to add to their roster. Moving additional draft picks just to shed salary may not be the most desired move.

Skinner could rebuild his value with a rebuilding team ahead of NHL Free Agency this summer. The Oilers could add a needed piece as they contend for a Stanley Cup. All in all, moving the veteran winger may prove beneficial to both sides in the long run.