Little going right so far for Jeff Skinner this season in Edmonton

Signed to boost the Oilers' already potent attack, Skinner has instead regressed from his production of past seasons and has now even been fined by the NHL.

New York Rangers v Edmonton Oilers
New York Rangers v Edmonton Oilers | Codie McLachlan/GettyImages

As per the Associated Press, Edmonton Oilers forward Jeff Skinner was fined $2,000 on Monday by the NHL. The fine was as a result of embellishment for diving, in the recent 6-2 win at home against the New York Rangers.

The reason Skinner received the fine in the first place, is because the incident in the Rangers game was the second such instance of perceived diving. He had previously warned by the NHL, due to a similar incident in a game versus the Carolina Hurricanes back in October.

In respect of the incident which got the 32-year-old his fine, it happened during the second period of the game with the Rangers. He got into a fight for the puck along the boards with defenceman K’Andre Miller, and fell after what was deemed to be minimal contact.

More diving fines will prove increasingly expensive

It will be interesting to see how Skinner reacts moving forward, as a third offence would result in a bigger fine of $3,000. If the issue continues and happens for a fifth time, he would also compromise his head coach Kris Knoblauch, with both receiving a fine. (All money for fines goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.)

It's fair to say Skinner's season has been a tough one so far, after being lauded as an excellent signing for one year and $3 million during the offseason. Having average around 25 goals per season during his 14 years in the NHL, he was expected to boost an already lethal attack in Edmonton.

Instead, the 2010 seventh overall draft pick has seen a promising start with four points in the first five games of 2024-25, quickly fade away. He has since produced just two goals and four overall points in 19 games, his -9 rating is easily the worst on the team, and his 13:38 of average ice time is on course to be the lowest of his NHL career.

An unwanted NHL record

Skinner has enjoyed a good career in general, but has never appeared in a playoff game. In fact he holds the unfortunate distinction of the NHL record for most games without a playoff appearance, which stands at 1,030 and counting at the time of writing.

It was assumed -- and with good reason -- that this dubious record would end after joining the Oilers. However, there has been some speculation that the team could look to trade the Markham, Ontario native at some point before the Mar. 7 deadline, due in part to his lack of production.

The hope though is that Skinner can get his game back on track soon, to persuade the Oilers to keep him around. This is still the same player who just two seasons ago produced career-highs of 82 points and a +15 rating, and as a member of the Buffalo Sabres.

If the winger can't recover however, you have to wonder if his playoff drought will continue indefinitely (pending if he is traded, and where to). In any event, fans will hope any future diving is more metaphorical, i.e. diving headfirst into a renewed commitment to rediscovering his previous form.

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