Oilers forward Jeff Skinner caught on camera frustrated during game vs Blues
PUBLICATION
Ryan Hall
February 5, 2025 (8:00)
During the Oilers-Blues game yesterday, Oilers forward Jeff Skinner appeared frustrated on the bench after making a few great plays, but still riding the bench.
Skinner has not had a great season with the Oilers, and has been floated in trade rumours all season. Knoblauch has shown a reluctance to trust him with more minutes, but Skinner is clearly still grinding to prove himself.
Oilers reporter defends Skinner's recent play
After that tweet, Oilers reporter Mark Spector tweeted his own views on Skinner lately and gave him some credit that he is doing all he can to try to improve his play and gave two excellent back checks and protecting a goals against.
Two excellent back-checks by Jeff Skinner saves at last a goal, maybe two. Give a guy credit: It hasn't gone the way he'd hoped in EDM, but he's not moping about it. Playing hard in a Bottom 6 role.
Skinner had a quality performance last night, making some noticeable strides with his defensive play, and sniffing around the net for some offensive chances too. Hopefully, this can be the start of him becoming a more effective player for Edmonton.
Skinner looks to escape the doghouse of Knoblauch
It's clear that Skinner is tired of being in the doghouse of his head coach and as the Oilers playoffs inch closer to reality, Skinner needs to show that he is a reliable player who can give Knoblauch what he needs especially in their own end.
Jeff Skinner - 9m57s of ice time. He's played well, the Oilers top 6 continues its struggles offensively, and Knobhead continues to limit his minutes and keep 97/29 together. I wish you could healthy scratch coaches for a few games. KK's stubbornness is infuriating.
It remains to be seen on how he will performed over the next couple of months and leading up to the NHL trade deadline but it's safe to say that no NHL team will take him and that he will need to dig himself out of his issues and find a way to be the player that the Oilers want him to be.
POLL |
FEVRIER 5 | 325 ANSWERS Oilers forward Jeff Skinner caught on camera frustrated during game vs Blues Do you think Jeff Skinner can find his game before the playoffs? |
Yes | 236 | 72.6 % |
No | 89 | 27.4 % |
List of polls |
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