Jeff Skinner will become the 399th player in NHL history to play at least 1,000 regular season games when he dresses against the Washington Capitals tonight. The 31-year-old played his entire career with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Buffalo Sabres.

He’s a player who has intensity at times, can get under the skin of the opponent, and has been one of the best 5 on 5 scorers in the game throughout his career.

Off the ice, he seems to be a favorite among his teammates in Buffalo and a popular play with most of the fan base.

Elite Even Strength Scorer

Skinner has scored at least 20 goals in 10 of his 14 seasons and 30 or more in six of them. The Toronto-born winger ranks 21st in goals scored per 60 minutes at 5 on 5 since making his debut in 2010.

Since joining the Sabres, he has scored at least 30 goals in three of the six seasons. He may have hit 30 again this season if not for the injuries. There have been some memorable goals along the way. Perhaps none other than his overtime winner against the San Jose Sharks for the Sabres 10th straight win in the 2018-19 season.

Skinner was an up-and-down player during his career with the Hurricanes but found some stability with the Sabres. This past season has not gone as planned, but that has been the case for most team players. For his career, Skinner has a 50% goal differential, 51% shot share, and 50% expected goal share at 5 on 5 in Evolving Hockey’s model.

Playoffs

The unfortunate elephant in the room for Skinner is that he’ll become the first player to appear in 1,000 regular season games without playing in a playoff game. It has been an unlucky run for him playing for two franchises that were in the midst of a historically long playoff drought.

Everyone knows that Skinner is not known for his defensive ability. It is one of the downsides of his game. You can live with it if his offensive impact outweighs the defensive deficiencies. That has been the case for him more often than not. So, long story short, that is not why he has yet to play in the postseason.

Not only would it be nice for the Sabres to break their 13-year playoff drought next season, but it would be a good story to Skinner into the playoffs for the first time in his career.

It’s an excellent accomplishment. Hopefully, the team will show up for him tonight and there can be a fun night in a season that hasn’t seen many of those.

Data via: Evolving Hockey

Photo Credit: Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images