Once again looking at the best possible scenarios for the New Jersey Devils this offseason, we take a look at the top of the free agency class. Here’s a few reasons why Jeff Skinner would fit on this team, and why this team fits with him.
The New Jersey Devils played the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night, taking home a 3-1 victory over the visiting team. The Devils are starting to get some of their stars back, as Blake Coleman scored despite being a game-time decision. Nico Hischier, Kyle Palmieri, Miles Wood and Will Butcher all playing after recently being out of the lineup. It was a nice win on the back of Cory Schneider.
Speaking of stars, one of the biggest stars on the Sabres has a major decision to make this offseason. This season has been strange because it feels like we aren’t talking as much about the stacked free agency class. Last year, it seemed like the talk about John Carlson and John Tavares was non-stop. This year, we don’t hear much talk of players like Erik Karlsson, Gustav Nyquist, Mats Zuccarrello and everyone on the Columbus Blue Jackets. Literally everyone who’s not Seth Jones.
One free agent who was a topic of conversation earlier this year is Jeff Skinner. After the Carolina Hurricanes traded him for a bag of pucks, he carried to Sabres to the top of the Eastern Conference. He scored 14 goals in November. That’s not a typo, he scored 14 goals in one month. Of course, he never came close to those heights, but outside of March, he scored at least five goals in every month.
Skinner is just 26 years old, he’s just now getting into his prime, and he’s about to become a free agent. The problem with Skinner has always been consistency. He will score 35 goals one season, then just over 20 the next. There’s not a true rhyme or reason to it, it just happens. That’s something that might make a team pause before giving him $8+ million per season.
The New Jersey Devils should not pause. The Devils saw what Skinner brings, when he peppered Schneider with six shots, and drove the offense, despite Cory taking over. Skinner produced nine scoring chances, which is great for a wing.
Skinner can fit under the Devils cap while the team also pays Taylor Hall. Nico Hischier isn’t a major player in terms of cap hit, and he won’t be for a while. The Devils could pay their top line $22 million, and they’d be fine. Skinner fits, but do the Devils fit him?
Here are five reasons why the Devils should be one of Skinners top teams on his list.