The Boston Bruins are at best a wild-card team this season. That is, if they can dig themselves out of the hole they’re in. They’ll need to step up their game as the Atlantic Division competition tightens with the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, and Tampa Bay Lightning jockeying for the top spot.
Under head coach Marco Sturm, the team is fifth in the division, just under the Buffalo Sabres with a record of 32-20-5.
Sturm’s Bruins hold fast in the second wild spot with 69 points, just below Lindy Ruff’s Sabres, who have 70 points. To dig themselves out of the bottom rung, they’ll need more firepower in the top nine.
This is where Jeff Skinner would come into play.
Skinner was a seventh overall pick in 2010 by the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s had a tough career in the NHL, being bounced around the league from the Hurricanes, to the Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers, and San Jose Sharks.
He peaked early in his career as a rookie, recording 63 points in 2011, and winning the Calder Trophy as a Hurricane.
What Would Jeff Skinner Bring to the Bruins?
His short time in the Oilers system ended after his 2024-25 run as a free agent, where he signed with the Sharks on a one-year, $3 million deal. His chance to rebound as a reliable producer floundered, which is why he’ll be looking for a new role elsewhere.
Skinner played a total of 1,110 games in the NHL and has had multiple 60-plus point seasons, including his most recent, which was in 2022-23 with the Sabres, where he scored 35 goals and 82 points. He’s not so far removed from that season that he’s an incompetent player, but he could offer an intriguing solution to a Bruins team that needs more firepower in the top nine.