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Carolina Hurricanes: Jeff Skinner and Elias Lindholm Need to Start Stepping Up

By Brett Finger

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The Carolina Hurricanes have a wealth of young talent on their roster, but it will all be meaningless if they keep underperforming.

This season has been filled with ups and downs for the Carolina Hurricanes. Whether it’s the play of veterans or the lackluster performances of the youth, it’s been a tough season to swallow in Raleigh.

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What has stood out the most has been the vast disappointment from young forwards on the club, specifically Jeff Skinner Elias Lindholm who have a combined 6 points through the team’s first 18 games.

Fortunately, it hasn’t been all bad for the team as they look to the future. Victor Rask, Justin Faulk, Brett Pesce, Noah Hanifin, Ryan Murphy, and the recently reassigned Brock McGinn have all showed great promise and will likely be a big part of the club’s future. The same goes for the slumping Lindholm and Skinner, but their struggles have outweighed any of their positive play.

Elias Lindholm’s lack of consistency comes as a surprise. The 2013 5th overall draft pick broke out last year and put up a 39-point campaign with a team that struggled offensively. He received a two-year extension due to his solid play and promising future, and that kicks in after this season, the last year of his entry-level deal.

Lindholm has also been playing with very solid players throughout the season. He has seen a lot of time alongside Eric Staal who currently leads the club in points, and his powerplay time also gives him very little excuse for his struggles. He is frequently featured on the top powerplay unit, and like most other players on the team, he has not been able to register a goal on the man advantage. He has no powerplay points.

This lack of success from Lindholm is relatively new, and it’s far from the time to panic about his performance given his age and his success last season. His type of play also gives him promise. He is solid in nearly every area and he isn’t much of a risk taker. As the team around him grows in talent, his numbers will get better.

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Jeff Skinner, on the other hand, is in a different situation. Skinner has just 35 points and is a -25 since the beginning of the 2014-2015 season. That is 95 games with 35 points.

It’s no longer a concussion issue and it’s no longer a team issue; this is an issue with Skinner. He fails to get quality scoring chances on net, and in the seemingly rare times he does, he doesn’t follow it up with more good plays.

For example, he tallied the game-tying goal with 3.3 seconds to go against the Ottawa Senators a week and a half ago, and it ultimately led to a big overtime win, and a win that should’ve built confidence not only for him but for the entire team. Unfortunately, the Canes have yet to put a solid 60 minute effort since then, and Skinner has not made a dent on the scoreboard.

If scoring big goals and getting a good bounce can’t turn Skinner’s game around, nothing may be able to, and that is troubling.

He is still young. It feels like he’s been in the league for a decade, but he is just 23 and he has a lot of hockey ahead of him. As the team continues to mature, maybe Skinner will too, but at this point, his future with the team must be considered thoroughly by the front office. Is this a player that you can build a team around? Is he actually worth his lofty price tag through the 2018-2019 season?

A lot of people would answer no to those questions, but ultimately that doesn’t matter, it is what the front office and GM Ron Francis thinks is best.

Next: Canes Drop Points to Kick Off the Homestand

The next few months will be very telling for the future of both Jeff Skinner and Elias Lindholm, but only one of them seem to have their fate decided by March, and that is Mr. Skinner.

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