The Kings were a team on the lookout for scoring help throughout the season, something that isn’t likely to change this summer. With that in mind, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noted in his latest podcast (audio link) that he has heard that Carolina winger Jeff Skinner is someone that Los Angeles has interest in.
Skinner has spent his entire career with the Hurricanes after they drafted him seventh overall back in 2010. He has been one of their more consistent scorers since then, reaching the 20-goal mark in six out of eight seasons; one of the years he didn’t was the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign. This past season, he tallied 24 times while adding 25 assists in 82 games which ranked him fourth in team scoring.
While he is still a key player for the Hurricanes, it will be interesting to see if this is the offseason where they shake things up. Former GM Ron Francis was let go in part because he was content to go with a slow, consistent approach whereas new owner Thomas Dundon is believed to be wanting someone a bit more aggressive in terms of making moves. With Carolina having missed the playoffs for nine straight seasons, Skinner could very well be part of any changes being made, especially with his contractual situation.
The 25-year-old will be entering the final year of his contract next season, one that carries a cap hit of $5.725MM (with a $6MM salary) so this may be the right time to move him so that the acquiring team gets him for a full year instead of being a midseason rental.
Meanwhile, the Kings have over $70MM committed for next season per CapFriendly but have very few players to re-sign; with the expected increase to the salary cap, they should be able to fit him in under their existing salary structure. The fact Skinner has one year left may also be of interest to Los Angeles as they have quite a few long-term deals on the books already and may not want to add another at the price that Skinner is likely to command next summer on the open market.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Who do the kings give back?
If the Kings have $6 million-ish for a guy like Skinner, why wouldn’t they just shoot for JVR first and save what Skinner would cost in trade?
Because the Kings are confident that the Canes would take back some salary to ensure they could afford Skinner.
Skinner is byfar my favorite player, Carolina cannot afford to lose him as he’s proven to have league-high scoring potential under the right coaching and with the right line mates, 6th in goals last season. If Carolina loses Skinner, LA better be giving us part of their heart.