No player’s skating stride is the same in the NHL, especially for San Jose Sharks forward Jeff Skinner.

The veteran of 1,078 NHL games joined the Sharks with the hopes of finding his scoring touch again. The winger scored 40 goals in the 18-19 season. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy over former Sharks captain Logan Couture in 2011.

While scoring goals is Skinner’s calling card, the most unique part of his game is how he skates. Skinner hasn’t always been the fastest player, but he’s certainly above average. What separates him is his edgework.

In an exclusive interview with SHD, Skinner said he never had a skating coach who pushed him to work on his edges. He partially attributes his style to his experience as a figure skater and hockey player from the ages of six to 13.

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“I figure-skated a little bit when I was a kid, so maybe that was some of the influence on my hockey skating stride. It’s just one of those things where there are times to do it and times not to do it,” Skinner said. “When you can gain an advantage by opening up, seeing the ice and not breaking stride or getting a little bit more of an angle off of something, by opening up so you have more space. I think that’s where it comes in handy.”

Skinner isn’t the only player who has terrific edges. Upon immediate thought, players like Sidney Crosby and Kirill Kaprizov come to mind. All three players possess outstanding skating edgework, but each has a distinct style.

“Just like any other kid, I would try to work on my skating. I don’t think there was ever a conscious effort to skate any differently. It just kind of worked out that way. You see a lot more of it nowadays,” Skinner said. “A lot of young guys are probably a little bit better on their edges than I am now. You’re always trying to work on your game and try and pick up things. For me, that’s one of those things where it happened naturally or instinctually.”

Skinner’s hockey sense is what makes his edgework more effective for himself and his teammates

The ability to shift your hips while skating is a highly skilled maneuver, especially at the high pace of the NHL. Skinner brings a much-needed influx of speed and agility to the San Jose Sharks roster.

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While he is in the back half of his career, Skinner still provides the offensive skill that Macklin Celebrini needs on a line. Once the Sharks moved Will Smith to Celebrini’s line, the combination of hockey IQ and elite skill brought out the best in both players.

During Sharks training camp, Skinner has been with the young duo. While Skinner doesn’t totally realize the effect his skating can have on his linemates, he knows it opens up the ice for everyone.

“There are times when you feel like you can do it, but I think for me, it’s more of an instinct. When I feel like it comes in handy, it’s just one of those things,” Skinner explained. “You see guys with different skills around the league that use them to their advantage. It’s not always a conscious decision for guys. They just have a skill in their tool bag, and they take it out when they need it.

For me, it’s even skating through traffic. Maybe not even when I have the puck. Sometimes it comes in handy, because there are situations where you have to maneuver through traffic, and there’s not a lot of space. The spacing is always different. The hole is always in a different spot, so you have to adapt on the fly. That’s just kind of become part of my game.”

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Skinner displayed his edgework ability on his first goal with the Sharks during the preseason. He spun to open up his body to face Sam Dickinson, allowing him to fend off a defender and put his stick in a scoring position.

Skinner told SHD that he doesn’t do anything crazy with the hollow he gets his skates sharpened at. The Sharks forward explained he gets a standard 5/8ths cut.

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