The Toronto born Jeff Skinner received a compelling offer from his hometown Maple Leafs in free agency, but turned them down to play for a team he believes can win the Stanley Cup - the Edmonton Oilers.
When speaking to the media today, Skinner confirmed that he had extensive talks with the Maple Leafs, but still ultimately chose the Oilers. Skinner explained he thinks Edmonton is the best team, and was appreciative that the Oilers showed consistent interest.
According to NHL insider Chris Johnston, the Maple Leafs pitched Skinner on the idea of playing next to Matthews and Marner. Obviously that didn't sway him, and although Skinner didn't confirm where he'd be playing in the lineup, he did note he was extremely excited to play with McDavid and Draisaitl.
Judging from Skinner's comments, it sounds like Oilers President Jeff Jackson had extremely productive talks with Skinner that ultimately led him to choose the Oilers. Jackson's experience as a player agent may have been on full display yesterday, signing 13 free agents and luring a Jeff Skinner on a very reasonable $3M contract for one year.
Just one year removed from a season where he scored 35 goals and 82 points, Jeff Skinner still has the ability to score at an elite rate. Alongside the offensive weapons on the Edmonton Oilers, Skinner could produce at a prolific rate once again, and make his $3M contract look like a bargain. For the first time in his 1000+ game NHL career he'll likely get a trip to the playoffs too, where hopefully he'll be hungry to contribute as much as he can.
