Penton: Skinner finally bound for NHL playoffs
By Bruce Penton
The happiest guy on the eve of the 2024-25 National Hockey League season might just be Jeff Skinner.
Ten times a 20-plus goal scorer (and 30-plus in six of those seasons) while playing for poor teams in Carolina and Buffalo, the Toronto-born left-winger could hardly be blamed for dreaming about an inaugural playoff run next spring.
Incredibly, in 14 seasons and 1,006 games, Skinner has never skated in an NHL playoff game. But that’s about to change now that he is a member of the Edmonton Oilers, Stanley Cup finalists last year and a relative slam-dunk playoff team thanks to the talents of Connor McDavid-led roster of stars.
Skinner was one of two big-name free agents signed by the Oilers on July 1 (Viktor Arvidsson was the other one) and come next April, Skinner is just about guaranteed to skate in his first playoff game. Pre-season talk had him playing on a line with either McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. He might fill the net all season.
Meanwhile, there’s plenty of interesting tidbits for fans to watch for as the new season gets under way.
— The Leafs, whose defence has been their kryptonite the past few years, are suddenly strong in that position with the addition of veterans Oliver Ekman-Larsen and Chris Tanev.
— Nashville Predators made perhaps the biggest offensive splash in free agency, signing both Steven Stamkos (555 career goals) and 2023 Conn Smythe trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault, coming off a 42-goal season with Vegas. They will join forwards Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg and defenceman Roman Josi to form one of the most powerful offensive lineups in the league.
— The NHL season takes a break from Feb. 12-20, 2025, for the 4 Nations Cup tournament, featuring the best players from Canada, the U.S., Sweden and Finland. The tournament will be played in two unnamed North American cities, one in the U.S. and one in Canada. Who skates for Canada will be a favourite debate subject for the next couple of months.
— Wayne Gretzky’s 894 career goals was thought to be untouchable, but Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin is bound to surpass that figure and wind up on the north side of 900 goals. The Russian sniper has 853 career goals and needs only 41 to tie Gretzky. If not this season, then 2025-26 for sure.
— Did Sidney Crosby sign his final contract a couple of weeks back? The two-year deal, a $17.6-million extension, takes him through the 2026-27 NHL season, when he'll be 39. He’s in his 20th season in the league and is a certain Hall-of-Famer.
Most fans couldn't get enough of rookie sensation Connor Bedard and now that he’s got one full season under his belt, how great will Season 2 be? The North Vancouver native scored 22 goals and assisted on 39 others in 68 games with a Chicago team that will be much improved in 2024-25. Fifty goals is not out of reach for Bedard.
Super 70s Sports, along with a picture of a Nestle’s Quik container saying you could win a trip to Vince Lombardi’s football clinic: “This looked like a fun contest until you got there and he just yelled at your butt all day for not executing properly.”
Canadian parody website The Beaverton, after Rogers acquired majority control of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment: “Rogers promises Leafs, Raptors fans that their teams will be just as successful as current Blue Jays”
RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com: “Rumour has it Bucs QB Baker Mayfield has two-dollar earrings that he wears during games. My first thought when hearing that was, ‘Not bad for a buck-an-ear!’”
Headline at the onion.com: “Tom Brady Provides Detailed Analysis Of How Easy It Would Be For Him To Take Dak Prescott’s Job”
Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, on Maple Leafs’ Nick Robertson: “So far his career is a Shakespearean play: Much Ado About Nothing”
Andrew Perloff of Athlon Sports, on Miami Dolphins’ QB situation with Tua Tagovailoa out with a concussion, suggesting a veteran quarterback is the answer: “Relying on Skylar Thompson and waiting for Tua to be healthy is franchise malpractice.”
Steve Simmons again: “The Leafs are paying four of the top 12 salaries in hockey. The other eight players come from eight different teams.”
Headline at fark.com: “Honda and Alpine breach F1’s cost-cap rules and didn’t event have to consult with the Yankees or Cowboys on how to do it.”
Sign held by a fan at the final home game of the Oakland A’s, who are moving to Las Vegas: “Today, there is crying in baseball.”
RJ Currie again: “With the PointsBet Invitational (recently) in Calgary, the top five curling songs: 5. Vary That Weight; 4. In-Turn Me Loose; 3. Bump It Up; 2. You Ain’t Seen Button Yet; 1. Bohemian Rocksody.
From fark.com: “Inside the 2024 White Sox’s road to MLB’s all-time worst record. Many years from now, Kevin Costner will plough another baseball field to redeem them as well.”
Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca