Jeff Skinner’s Future in San Jose Uncertain as Sharks Prioritize Youth Movement
At 33 years old and on a one-year deal, Jeff Skinner finds himself in a tough spot with the San Jose Sharks-a team clearly leaning into a youth-driven rebuild. With a handful of injured players nearing a return and only limited roster space available, Skinner’s hold on a spot in the lineup is looking increasingly tenuous.
He’s been a healthy scratch for five straight games, and there’s a good chance that streak continues when the Sharks open a five-game road trip against the Vancouver Canucks. With forwards Kiefer Sherwood and Philipp Kurashev, along with defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin, all nearing activation from injured reserve, the numbers game is getting tighter by the day. Sherwood and Mukhamadullin could be ready as early as Tuesday, which would further complicate the roster crunch.
Right now, the Sharks have just one open spot on the 23-man roster after recently sending winger Igor Chernyshov to the AHL’s Barracuda. That’s not a lot of wiggle room-especially when you’re trying to juggle the return of multiple players and still find ice time for your young core. And that’s where Skinner, who hasn’t played since Jan. 11, may end up on the outside looking in.
Skinner signed a one-year, $3 million contract with San Jose last summer, bringing with him over a decade of NHL experience and 712 career points across 1,110 games. But between injuries and scratches, he’s suited up for just 32 of the team’s 50 games this season. He’s tallied 13 points and averaged 12:21 of ice time per night, mostly skating on the third line and contributing on the second power-play unit.
When asked about his current status, Skinner didn’t dodge the reality of the situation.
“I’m aware of the roster situation. I’m aware of the amount of young guys here, and sort of where I fit, obviously, in the big picture,” he said.
“I’m not in control of that. I just come to practice and practice.
Things go on like that, it’s between managers or agents. As a player, I just worry about playing or practicing.”
It’s a grounded response from a veteran who’s been through the NHL’s ups and downs. Skinner knows the game, and he knows the business.
This isn’t his first time dealing with lineup uncertainty. He was scratched on occasion last year with Edmonton, but the context was entirely different.
The Oilers were gunning for a Cup. The Sharks, by contrast, are focused on developing a young core-six of their forwards are 23 or younger-and building for the future.
That shift in priorities has left Skinner in a tough spot. His last game came in a lopsided 7-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan.
- He picked up an assist in that game-his sixth point in as many outings-but was replaced by Ryan Reaves in the next game against Washington and hasn’t dressed since.
“It’s a numbers thing,” Sharks head coach David Warsofsky said when asked about Skinner. “I think when he came back in there the last time he was scratched, he gave us some good minutes and played some good hockey.
There’s some development that needs to be had with some of our younger players, and they get a little bit of a leash. There’s some guys that we want to continue to take a look at, but we know there’s a lot of hockey left here.”
That quote says a lot. The Sharks know what they have in Skinner-a proven scorer and a steady veteran presence-but they also know what they need: growth from their young players. And that often means giving them ice time even when a vet like Skinner is playing well.
Still, Skinner believes he’s got more to give.
“I think I feel like I was starting to find some rhythm and starting to find my game, and now we’re here,” he said. “It’s tough to really fully assess and take a step back.”
He’s not wrong. Before being scratched, Skinner was showing signs of finding his groove. And while he’s not the 82-point player he was in Buffalo two seasons ago, he’s still confident in his ability to contribute.
“I think the last few games I played, I feel like I was contributing positively to the team,” he said. “And that was, I don’t know, two weeks ago?
I don’t think I forgot how to play. I’m pretty confident in myself to be able to contribute at this level.”
Skinner practiced Sunday alongside Kurashev, but neither was among the 12 forwards slotted into the Sharks’ main lines. That’s not a great sign for his immediate future in the lineup.
The Sharks have already shown they’re willing to make tough decisions to manage the roster. On Jan. 17, they placed veteran defenseman Nick Leddy on waivers to make room for Vincent Desharnais, who was returning from injury.
Leddy cleared and was reassigned to the AHL. When asked if another move like that could be coming, GM Mike Grier didn’t rule it out.
“That’s definitely something that could be a possibility,” Grier said. “We’re going to have to look at everything to kind of get down to the number that we need to be at.”
So where does that leave Skinner? In a holding pattern, for now.
He’s been around long enough to understand how these things play out-and to keep his focus on what he can control.
“I’ve been around a long enough time to have seen guys in my position, and I’m not special or different than any other player that’s played in the league in the last 100 or whatever years,” Skinner said. “To have experience, the best thing it does is give you perspective on sort of big pictures and scenarios.”
For now, that perspective is what he’s leaning on. But if the Sharks continue to prioritize development over experience, Skinner’s time in San Jose could be winding down.