Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Vail
They still play for the same team. If Eichel was the answer for Skinner, they'd be playing together. Whatever happened to Skinner, it is a lot more than losing his centre.
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Actually that might have just been the solution for Skinner (and maybe keeps Eichel and Reinhart happier too). The coaches changed between the 18-19 season to the 19-20 season, and for whatever reason Kruger just hated Skinner.
He went from playing with Eichel the majority of the time and having a great season in 18-19.
In 18-19 he played 845 minutes with Eichel (and 364 away from him) at 5v5, and they were great together. (Eichel and Reinhart were his most common linemates - 45% of the time together)
Then Kruger became coach and pretty much hated Skinner from day 1.
In 19-20 he played 100 minutes with Eichel (with an xGF of 56.4% in that time). His most common linemates that season were some combination of Marcus Johansson, Vladimir Sobotka, Evan Rodrigues, and Connor Sheary.
In 20-21 he played 39 minutes with Eichel (with an xGF of 78% in that time) and his most common linemate was Curtis Lazar.
If you look at the whole three year time period:
Eichel+Skinner: 988 Minutes - 55.3% xGF - 59 GF - 49 GA
Eichel w/o Skinner: 1624 Minutes - 48.9% xGF - 68 GF - 76 GA
Skinner w/o Eichel: 1699 Minutes - 48.9% xGF - 60 GF - 72 GA
So both Eichel and Skinner were much better when they were together, but Kruger hated Skinner's defensive game, wouldn't play those two together, and stapled Skinner to the 4th line.
I don't know but I think going from playing with Eichel and Reinhart...to playing with Curtis Lazar and Evan Rodrigues is going to be a bit tough for a guy who is more of a finisher. And just ridiculous management from Buffalo. You give a guy $9M after he played 845 even strength minutes with Eichel and put up 40 goals, then the next year you hire a new coach that decides to staple him to the 4th line and plays him 139 minutes total with Eichel. Just destroyed an asset and now Reinhart already asked for a trade and been traded, Eichel is on his way out, and you're stuck paying Skinner $9M a year.