In March 2019, before the $72 million contract and three consecutive healthy scratches, Jeff Skinner was asked repeatedly why he wasn’t scoring goals.
Skinner was one of the few bright spots on the Sabres that season, a 40-goal scorer on a 76-point team that cratered and cost coach Phil Housley his job. Skinner’s goal drought in the final weeks lasted 13 games and he scored just once in 22 games.
It paled in comparison to what Skinner experienced in 84 games with Ralph Krueger in charge.
Krueger is gone, the latest bench boss fired amid a 10-year playoff drought. His exit came less than three weeks after benching Skinner for three games. Krueger’s replacement, Don Granato, elevated Skinner back into the top six and continues to express confidence that success will follow for the two-time all-star left wing.
“It gives you confidence when the coach kind of trusts you and believes in you,” Skinner, 29, said following practice Wednesday in KeyBank Center. “Obviously, at the same time, you’ve got to earn that. You’ve got to work for it. You’ve got to make sure that you’re proving him right.”
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Unlike most Sabres on the roster late last season, the coaching change wasn’t transformative for Skinner. While his ice time and opportunity improved, Skinner had five goals and 11 points in 28 games with Granato in charge.
Like so many nights since signing an eight-year contract in June 2019, Skinner generated scoring chances but couldn’t finish at his previous rate. It’s unclear how much, if at all, Granato’s style of play will coax more offense out of Skinner, whose 211 goals at 5-on-5 since 2010 are tied with Sidney Crosby for eighth in the NHL.
Voices in the hockey media have echoed that the contract is one of the worst handed out by an NHL team in years, and the man who centered Skinner during that career year – Jack Eichel – won’t be around this season. Skinner, though, is resolute in his belief that he can still help the Sabres.
“I still feel I’m an impact player,” said Skinner, who likely will make his preseason debut Thursday night in Detroit. “That’s kind of how I feel. How that’s impacting the game is obviously going to change on a night-to-night basis, but that’s what I expect of myself. I think that’s what’s expected of me here and that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
During the long offseason, Granato poured over video from his time as the club’s interim coach. It was important work as he prepared to take over on a full-time basis, and he was looking for any lessons or adjustments that could be useful in 2021-22.
Granato liked what he saw from Skinner, and the numbers confirmed that opportunity was there.
In 28 games at 5-on-5 under Granato, Skinner was tied with Tage Thompson for the team lead with 27 high-danger scoring chances. Per 60 minutes played at 5-on-5, Skinner also ranked fourth in points (1.61) and second in shots (8.86). The problem has become a familiar one for Skinner: He had only 0.39 goals per 60 minutes at even strength, a figure that ranked sixth among Sabres to appear in at least 15 games during that span. According to NaturalStatTrick.com, Skinner also was second in individual shot quality.
However, those data points are like those he produced under Krueger. In Skinner’s 84 games with Krueger as coach, at 5-on-5, he led the team in shots per 60 minutes (10.42), high-danger scoring chances and individual shot quality. He even ranked third in goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 at 0.87.
But Skinner totaled only 21 goals in his last 112 games, a figure that’s tied for 121st in the league during that span. It’s a trend that will need to change if the Sabres are going to surpass low external expectations.
“I fully believe Jeff was engaged more (late last season),” said Granato. “And I watched a lot of film this summer and I was happy with what I saw in Jeff. It was a progression. I thought he got better each and every game. I talked to Jeff about the style we want to play and how it fits the style he likes to play. I think it does. I believe it does from what I've seen of him and what I know of how we want things to go. …
“I take that as a coaching challenge. I know he has lots of talent. I've seen that. And I want to help him in any way I can to realize more of that.”
Finishing is an art Skinner tries to perfect every offseason. He works with accomplished skill coaches on how to translate his wizardry with the puck in tight spaces into goals. And while Skinner has been a streaky scorer throughout his career, former Sabres General Manager Jason Botterill expressed confidence that a history of creating chances would translate to long-term production.
Krueger, though, wanted to see Skinner make more of an impact in other areas, whether it was on the forecheck or by stripping the puck from unsuspecting opponents. Only then would the coach use the accomplished scorer in offensive situations. When results weren't immediate, Krueger stripped Skinner of his role on the power play, demoted him to the bottom six and scratched him last February in a bizarre saga that led Skinner’s agent, Don Meehan, to call General Manager Kevyn Adams to express concern.
Like every camp and new season, Skinner is viewing this as a fresh start. He’s embracing his role as one of the team leaders and appears locked into a top-six role with the Oct. 14 season opener just more than two weeks away. And while people on the outside have counted Skinner out, he’s determined to succeed again.
“Every player wants to help the team as much as you can and I’m not different in that way,” Skinner said. “I think I can impact the game that way, and hopefully I can continue to do that this year.”
