Oilers’ Jeff Skinner to be scratched Saturday versus Blackhawks

Edmonton Oilers forward Jeff Skinner will be designated as a healthy scratch Saturday versus the Chicago Blackhawks, head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed to team reporter Tony Brar.

The move marks the second time in seven games that the veteran forward has been held out of the lineup. Skinner did not dress for a late December contest against the Pacific Division rival Anaheim Ducks in which the Oilers ultimately fell 5-3.

Facing the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, Skinner saw just 8:16 in ice time, marking the seventh time this season that his time on ice has slipped below 10 minutes. Skating in his first season with the Oilers, the 32-year-old Toronto native has made 40 appearances in which he has collected seven goals and eight assists for 15 points.

Skinner joined the Oilers in the offseason, signing a one-year, $3-million pact in unrestricted free agency after the Buffalo Sabres elected to buy out the final three years of his previous contract. In his final season with the Sabres, Skinner finished seventh in team scoring with 46 points counting 24 goals and 22 assists coming in 74 contests.

Originally chosen seventh overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2010 NHL Draft, Skinner’s career has counted 1,046 total appearances with the Hurricanes, Sabres, and Oilers in which he has tallied 364 goals and 321 assists for 685 points. Stepping into the NHL immediately following his selection by the Hurricanes, Skinner finished second in Carolina scoring in 2010-11, recording 63 points in 82 games en route to Calder Trophy recognition.

Despite Skinner’s offensive success in the regular season, he has yet to make an appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in his 15-year NHL career. Entering Saturday’s showdown against the Blackhawks, the Oilers sit third place in the Pacific Division with a 25-13-3 record and 53 points.