Take a guess at who the two longest-tenured Carolina Hurricanes are. Most of you probably correctly guessed goaltender Cam Ward, who has been there for 10 seasons. Fewer probably guessed forward Jeff Skinner as the second.
That’s right, the baby-faced 18-year-old kid who took the league by storm and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie in 2010-11 is now entering his seventh NHL season with the Canes.
“I think everyone gets the same feeling [every year]; you’re excited to be around the guys and get things going after working out all summer,” Skinner said. “I think those same exciting feelings come back; you get the first day out of the way and try and build from there.”
Skinner’s debut season could not have gone better, as he scored 31 goals and 63 points to capture the Calder. However, the Canes’ young star fell on some tougher times following his debut, with injuries and inconsistencies plaguing his game, missing time with three separate concussions between 2011 and 2015. Skinner stayed relatively healthy and set a career high in goals in 2013-14 with 33 in 71 games, but last season was probably the best of his young career, including when he won the Calder.
Skinner played all 82 games and led the team with 28 goals. While that is the third-highest total of his career, what was most impressive was Skinner’s evolution into more of a complete player. The Toronto native really seemed to grow the defensive side of his game, which had been questioned thus far in his career, and also took on more of a leadership role on a young team, particularly after former captain Eric Staal was traded at the deadline.
“He’s a really skilled guy,” Hurricanes center Victor Rask said. “He can beat anyone one-on-one; he’s a smart guy that I have some good chemistry with. It’s just a lot of fun to play with him.”
At his annual preseason “State of the Canes” address, general manager Ron Francis mentioned Skinner as a player he felt really stepped up his game after the trade deadline, and called him the Canes’ best, most-consistent player thus far in this year’s training camp.
Skinner said his evolution stems from his inner drive to help his team, no matter what it takes.
“I think for me, I just try and help the team win,” Skinner said. “I think part of my role is to produce offensively, but I think you always want to continue to evolve as a player and try and help the team as best you can. Being solid in all three zones and chipping in offensively, that’s my role, and you want to try and do that to the best of your ability and go from there.”
When Skinner broke into the league, he was the youngest player in the NHL, entering his first training camp and looking for others to show him the way. In his first season, there were plenty of veterans on the Canes’ roster to help ease Skinner’s transition. Now, with the Canes transitioning to a youthful roster, Skinner faces a bit of a role reversal, with young players coming in looking to him to show them the ropes.
“I think it’s sort of a natural progression,” Skinner said. “As you grow older and you’ve been around longer, each year you gradually take on that role. I think this year is another step on that path, and it’s fun to be one of those guys that the young guys look up to, and getting that responsibility that comes with it. I think as a player, as a person, you’re always trying to get better and improve. That’s how you do it; you pick up things from different guys. Being around a little bit longer allows you a little bit more opportunity and a little bit more time to pick up those things.”
Skinner’s continued growth as a player and offensive talent continues to impress his teammates, including his oldest one.
“He was obviously very mature at a young age, and he stepped in and won the Calder as a rookie,” Ward said. “He proved that he’s a scoring threat in this league. I think last year you saw that hunger and that bite in front of the net that makes him one of the top scorers. He’s just a good kid. He’s fun to be around, he likes to have fun and he’s very competitive, which is something that guys can feed off of.”
It hasn’t taken one of the Canes’ older new faces long to be impressed by Skinner either.
“He’s just a great skater,” said free agent signee Lee Stempniak, who has played on a line with Skinner so far in training camp. “He’s so strong on his skates. He’s quick, he’s elusive and he’s just a goal scorer. Just from playing against him, he’s a lot stronger on his skates than you realize; he’s a powerful skater. He shoots the puck a lot; he creates a lot of goals and opportunities for his linemates with his shot.”
Though Skinner has been with the Canes for six seasons now, there is still one thing he has yet to do: skate in a Stanley Cup playoffs game. The Canes have made many changes in the past several months with the goal of ending a seven-year playoff drought. With a continually evolving Jeff Skinner leading the way, the team should feel good about its chances.
