Jeff Skinner’s NHL run appears to be over.
The former Edmonton Oilers forward has signed with EHC Biel of the Swiss League, the club announced Friday, and the deal runs for one year until the end of April 2027.
Skinner, 34, was an unrestricted free agent after terminating his Sharks contract in February, but he never found another NHL landing spot. His move overseas comes after a brief and frustrating stint in Edmonton, where he was brought in during a busy free-agency summer before the 2024-25 season with the expectation that he could help in the top six as a goal scorer.
Instead, his role never really settled. Skinner produced when given a chance, but the opportunities were thin and the leash was even thinner.
If he scored, the next game could still mean a seat in the press box. That stop-start usage never gave him any rhythm, and it was a poor fit for a player who was supposed to be part of the offense.
At one point, when Kris Knoblauch was asked what Skinner needed to do, the answer was “play better hockey.” That line stood out because it didn’t match what Skinner was actually delivering, even if he wasn’t scoring at a 30-goal pace.
Skinner picked Edmonton in hopes of finally getting his shot on a playoff team. He got that chance, but barely, as the Oilers barely used him once they entered the postseason as a favorite.
His NHL résumé closes with 379 goals and 712 points in 1,110 games. In Edmonton, he finished with 16 goals and 29 points in 72 games. His strongest years came with the Buffalo Sabres, where he spent six seasons and never reached the playoffs.
Skinner will be remembered as a smooth skater with a knack for finishing. But as the game gets faster and his production has steadily dipped, teams clearly weren’t eager to commit more time and money to him.
In Edmonton, he’ll also be tied to a separate fallout from that summer: his contract helped create the salary cap crunch that St. Louis exploited, leaving the Oilers to lose Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg.
He may end up as one of the league’s better scorers to play the fewest playoff games. After 16 NHL seasons, he made the postseason only once, and even then the Oilers used him just five times during their run to the Stanley Cup Final.
In Other News...
Oilers Fans Face A Familiar Connor McDavid Tradeoff This Season
Connor McDavid has made a career out of turning the Oilers into a nightly must-watch team, and this season the conversation around him is familiar: how much individual production comes with the territory when the bigger goal is winning in the spring. A recent fan survey suggests Edmonton supporters are bracing for a slight dip in his point totals, but not in the broader value he brings if the team is better positioned for playoff success.
The more interesting part is the temperature around what comes next if the Oilers keep coming up short. Fans may be willing to trade a little offense for a deeper run, but there is still an uneasy sense that the long view of McDavids future in Edmonton will depend on whether those results ever arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Face Intriguing Next Step With Two Young Forwards
The Capitals are already looking ahead to a tricky but important piece of business after a promising stretch from two young forwards. Ryan Leonard and Justin Sourdif have given Washington enough reason to think about long-term commitments, and the next step for the front office will be figuring out how to reward recent performance without losing flexibility as the roster continues to take shape.
Around the league, the broader landscape is shifting in ways that could matter down the road for teams trying to build and keep star power. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly has suggested Houston could be the next expansion market, with play potentially beginning in the 2029-30 season, while Connor McDavids future continues to be a topic of conversation as his Oilers contract plays out. For the Capitals, the immediate focus remains on Leonard and Sourdif, but the market for young talent is only getting tighter. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers May Use A Familiar Face To Solve A Camp Dilemma
With training camp coming fast and the preseason shortened, the Oilers could use a low-risk way to add bodies and get a read on depth under new coaches Mike Babcock and D.J. Smith. Kurt Leavins of The Edmonton Journal floated the idea of bringing in a familiar face on a professional tryout contract, a practical move for a team that may lean toward players the staff already knows rather than spending precious time evaluating complete unknowns.
Curtis Lazar fits that description well. He has already worn an Oilers sweater and remains unsigned, making him an easy name to circle if Edmonton wants experience in a bottom-six role and some comfort in the camp competition. The appeal is obvious, even if the final decision still hinges on whether the organization wants to keep looking inward or give a known depth option another shot. [Read more 🡒]