Jeff Skinner, after 1,078 NHL games, is finally set to participate in his first playoff series with the Edmonton Oilers against the Los Angeles Kings. Skinner, who joined the Oilers as a free agent, expressed excitement for this postseason opportunity, reflecting on the challenges of missing the playoffs for so long. He spent significant time with the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres but has never seen playoff action until now. Oilers captain Connor McDavid acknowledged the uniqueness of Skinner's situation, celebrating his achievement with a player-of-the-game belt.

Despite his modest point total of 29 this season, Skinner believes his performance improved as the season progressed, aligning with coach Kris Knoblauch's perspective. In the Oilers' final practice before the playoffs, Skinner skated on a line with Adam Henrique and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, fueling optimism in the locker room as the team looks to make a deep postseason run.