Oilers’ Jeff Skinner on the move again?

The Edmonton Oilers signed veteran forward Jeff Skinner on July 1st as both parties agreed to a one-year contract worth $3-million. Days prior, Skinner’s final three years of his deal in Buffalo had been bought out by the Sabres. He’s been happy to find a home in Edmonton, though let’s just hope he has not purchased one!

That’s because Bob Stauffer has reported that Skinner could be moved as he’s become, along with winger Mattias Janmark, a prime trade candidate in Edmonton.

Stauffer explains that the Oilers need to eventually make tough decisions in order to make room for Evander Kane. He’s yet to play this season, being placed on the team’s long term injured reserve after undergoing surgeries to repair two hernias, two torn abdominal muscles and both abductors on September 20th. While fans imagined it would take quite a bit of time to see Kane suit up in Edmonton, it looks like he’ll be back sooner than expected, which means the Oilers need to make room on their salary cap to get him back in the lineup. Stauffer believes it could lead to a Skinner trade, especially if general manager Stan Bowman keeps shopping for a defenseman to add to his roster.

Stauffer repeated how the Oilers are looking to add a defenseman to their back end, as they desperately need it, and therefore explained how moving Skinner over Janmark would leave more room on the cap for the addition of a blue liner and the return of Kane.

“I think it’s inevitable the [Edmonton] Oilers trade for a right-hand shooting defenseman….it will be picks, for the most part, that get used.”

Kane’s return could definitely boost the Oilers up front, however, someone will have to go for the books to balance in Edmonton.

Really, Kane wasn’t expected to return during the regular season and that’s in part why his $5,125,000 cap hit was placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve. At this time, according to Puck Pedia, the Oilers have $1.5 million in cap space at this time and a projected $4.8 million available at the trade deadline in March.

With moving Skinner free up $3 million, the forward might very well be on the move again.