This is an unfamiliar position for Jeff Skinner.
Once again, the six-time 30-goal scorer, who just played his 1,100th game on Tuesday, is being healthy scratched by the San Jose Sharks.
This is Skinner’s third healthy scratch this season. He was also sidelined for a couple weeks recently with a lower-body injury.
All in all, Skinner admitted to San Jose Hockey Now that it’s been a “frustrating” season for him.
After a quick start to this season — Skinner recorded three goals in the Sharks’ first four games — he has one goal in his last 18 appearances, and none since Nov. 2.
This is not what the 33-year-old winger, signed to a one-year, $3 million contract by the San Jose Sharks over the summer, is accustomed to.
One of the great goal-scorers in the league in his prime, topping out with 40 in 2018-19, Skinner still managed 16 goals in limited ice time with the Stanley Cup Final-bound Edmonton Oilers last year. He has 377 goals over an illustrious 16-year career, which includes the 2011 Calder Trophy.
After Thursday’s practice, Skinner spoke with SJHN about where his mental head space is at.
San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky told Sharks Hockey Digest what he’s looking for from the veteran sniper.
“We’re going to give him some freedom to make plays. That’s what he’s done his whole career to create offense,” Warsofsky said. “But there needs to be more detail without the puck in his game. That’s really what it comes down to.”
Sheng Peng: What’s the message from the coaching staff about sitting you out tonight?
Jeff Skinner: I don’t know, if they have something specific, probably best not to play it out here. But I just worry about what I can control and how I can get better and try and help the team win.
SP: What do you think the coaches want from you and your game?
JS: I’ve been around long enough to know what I can bring to the team, how I can help, what my strengths are, and how I can positively impact the team. I just try and focus on trying to do as much of that as I can when I get the chance. It’s no different than every other player.
SP: What are the strengths typically you add to a team?
JS: Hopefully most people could see, being strong on pucks, win battles, drawing penalties. Obviously, I’d like to chip in a little bit more offensively, but just been a little bit snake-bitten lately, but getting chances, creating chances for teammates, and just trying to be solid and have a positive impact on the game.
SP: Has it been a frustrating season for you in that sense? You mentioned the offense and being a little snake bitten.
JS: I mean, that’s frustrating, obviously. I think everyone goes through it. I’ve been through it a lot of times. You try and create chances when that’s happening, and eventually the tide will turn, and one or two will go in, maybe sort of an ugly one or one that you don’t expect to go in will go in, get that good feeling, and then you can try to use that momentum. So I think for me, I just try and continue to create chances. The last few games hasn’t really gone in for me, but there’s been opportunities. Obviously I’d like to have finished on, but just try and create as many looks as possible.
SP: Has it been a more frustrating season for you this year than usual, in a sense of, besides being sat a few times, but also the injury too?
JS: I don’t know if you can really point to any season and say it’s usual. There’s always ups and downs, and obviously, so far, there’s been some challenges and some adversity. I think that will come up over the course of any season and any player. So whether it comes in a spurt at the beginning, or spurt in the middle, I just try and control what I can and just keep moving forward. Because obviously it has been challenging. There’s been some frustration. But I don’t think there’s more than normal, or more than I’m ready to face and accept as a challenge.
SP: Are you on the same page with the coaching staff in terms of what they want from your game and where you think your game is at?
JS: The coach has 23, some cases even more guys when we have injuries to look after. So as far as being on the same page, we both want to win the game. So that’s really sort of the only page that matters is trying to win the game. And we’re both on the same page there, for sure.
SP: You’re a veteran, this isn’t your first time being healthy scratched, I’m sure you’ve had a lot of practice over your career staying positive in tough moments. What do you do to stay positive?
JS: Like you said, just stay positive. Different guys deal with it in different ways. Obviously different personalities, different experiences build you into how you react, but since I have some experience in the past to draw on, I think maybe that works in my favor. But it’s so cliche, guys always say try and control what you can. Then obviously you come to the rink and you have practice, try and get better. It’s not something that’s anything new or is going to change. Every guy, pretty much, has the same mindset, is to continue to improve, continue to get better, no matter where you are in your career. And that’s what I try and do.
SP: Have you gotten better at dealing with something like this over the years? How are you different from other guys?
JS: I don’t know if I’m different than other guys. It’s hard to say what other guys (are like), as everyone has their own experiences. For me, obviously when people are older, you have more perspective on things, and you’ve maybe been through situations before. So maybe you aren’t as, I don’t want to say caught off guard. But having experience, having perspective always helps in situations you find yourself in, because even if it’s a brand new situation, there’s always similarities you can draw off of. So the more you’ve been around, the more you can draw on things, different tools or skills to get through any type of challenge that’s facing you. So I don’t know. It’s sort of like a word salad I just threw at you. (laughs) Just having perspective and experience is an advantage.
SP: Is it fair to say there’s a healthy frustration with being sat, but your mental state, you’re a veteran, you’ve been through this, so you’re in a good place to get back out there whenever?
JS: For me too, I also know it’s not about me, it’s about the team, and we’re trying to win the game. So I’m not worried, making a bigger deal of it than it is. I’m just part of the team and for me personally, I just work through this on my own, try and bring whatever positive things I can to the team. I think everyone on the team has that mentality. We’ve had a pretty good season so far, and the team’s in a pretty good spot, so it’s nice to be a part of that, and hopefully can continue that.
SP: Tyler Toffoli earlier in the season was slumping and all of a sudden broke through with a couple. It just takes a couple and then the floodgates kind of open for scorers like you guys, right?
JS: Yeah. Even when he was going through a little bit of a slump, he was still creating chances, creating opportunities. And then he has maybe a four-point night against Utah. Things started to go in a little bit more for him. It’s one of those things where it’s a good example of sticking with it and working through times where maybe it’s not going in for you as a scorer, and you just keep at it, keep working, and then eventually, hopefully, something clicks and you get back on the right track.