Conclusion
Though the return for Skinner may seem lackluster on the surface, the addition of Kochetkov as well as their 2 upcoming 2020 draft picks should inspire hope into the fan base after seeing how well the Canes have drafted over recent years.
The trade log will never show what the biggest impact of the deal was for the Carolina Hurricanes. After suffering through an 8-year playoff drought with Jeff Skinner on the team, it’s interesting to note how the Hurricanes made the playoffs and experienced their best results since before Skinner was drafted.
Another interesting fact is that Jeff Skinner – at 700 career games played – is just 207 games away from matching Ron Hainsey‘s record of 907 games played without a single playoff appearance. Skinner looks to be on track to miss the postseason for the 10th straight year, as his Sabres squad currently sit 9 points back of the final wild card spot in the East.
As of today, you can admirably say that the trade has paid dividends for both teams thus far. Buffalo got their coveted sniper signed long-term for a relatively low price to pay in terms of what they gave up. On the other hand, the Canes added some draft capital, and used the cap space they saved elsewhere, which in turn has yielded improved team success.
To conclude, both teams fans should be satisfied with the outcome for their side. It won’t be years down the road until we can determine the real winner, but Pyotr Kochetkov’s upside is intriguing for the team and his development will be crucial for the Carolina Hurricanes to get seemingly fair value.
Personally, as a huge fan of Jeff, it hurts me to write this, but in certain situations it seems like it’s in everybody’s best interest to just move on. It was time. And despite all of his great individual moments in Raleigh, it almost feels as if Jeff Skinner’s exit has been addition by subtraction for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Question for CC Readers: How did the Canes fare in the Skinner trade?