Jeff Skinner's next NHL return: Top landing spots after San Jose Sharks contract termination

As veteran forward Jeff Skinner was placed on unconditional waivers by the San Jose Sharks to terminate his one-year, $3 million contract on Monday, speculations are doing the rounds about what could be the next potential landing spot for the San Jose Sharks player. Earlier announcing the same, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet stated, “Jeff Skinner (SJ) on unconditional waivers for purposes of contract termination.”

As per reports, Skinner joined the Sharks on a one-year deal worth $3 million that he signed in July, followed by a similar arrangement with the Edmonton Oilers for the previous season. He was last seen on January 11 against the Vegas Golden Knights. As several NHL teams are looking for players to acquire before the NHL trade deadline, here are the top three landing spots that could be Skinner's next possible NHL move.

Top three landing spots for Jeff Skinner’s next NHL return after contract termination

In a significant roster move, veteran forward Jeff Skinner was placed on unconditional waivers by the San Jose Sharks on Monday to terminate his one-year, $3 million contract. Skinner, who managed just 6 goals and 13 points in 32 games this season before becoming a healthy scratch on January 11, is now an unrestricted free agent seeking a new team amid the Olympic break.

As per speculations, the Los Angeles Kings could be an interesting potential landing spot for Skinner after some injury news this week. Earlier, the Kings confirmed that the left winger Kevin Fiala is out for the rest of the regular season due to a major injury in his lower left leg during the Olympics. It would make sense for them to add another skilled forward. Hence, that could be one possibility for Skinner.


While Skinner may not be as effective a player as Fiala at this stage of his career, he could give the Kings some secondary scoring if he bounces back. He wouldn't have to move too far from San Jose, either.

The Tampa Bay Lightning is another possibility where Skinner would give them another option for their third line. He could even be a useful extra forward to have around for the Lightning, especially with their injury trouble this season, as reported by The Hockey News on Tuesday.

Apart from this, Skinner could provide the Avalanche's fourth line with a bit more offense, accompanying rookies like Gavin Brindley and Zakhar Bardakov, who have scored 11 and nine points in 42 games, respectively. Skinner would also give them another option for their struggling power play success rate, which currently stands at 15.1. It would now be interesting to see which team would opt for Jeff Skinner, as his termination has almost been confirmed from the San Jose Sharks’ end.


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