Colorado Avalanche Player Grade: Jack Skille
By Ross Sellers
Colorado Avalanche forward Jack Skille stops by MHS for his season grade, and he’s surely wondering if he’ll be a part of the playoff push in Avalanche country next season.
The Colorado Avalanche lost six in a row to end the season, and because of it they’re staring through a window at all the teams in the playoffs, wondering what it will take to be there next year.
Jack Skille played on the fourth line for the Colorado Avalanche, and he fulfilled his role valiantly for most of the season. Unfortunately, he was unnoticeable nearly throughout the second half of the season, and that could come back to haunt him.
Still, he filled a nice depth role for the Colorado Avalanche, and the fourth line of him, Cody McLeod, and John Mitchell could end up being the Colorado Avalanche fourth line next season as well.
Player Statistics
Stats:
| GamesPlayed | Goals | Assists | Points | Goal % of Points | Assist % of Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 57.1% | 42.9% |
| Even Strength Goal % | PP Goal % | SOG | Shooting % | Even Strength Assist % | PP Assist % |
| 100% | 0.0% | 106 | 7.6% | 100% | 0.0% |
| Take Aways | Give Aways | Turnover +/- | Blocks | Hits | TOI per Game |
| 17 | 8 | 9 | 25 | 97 | 9:22 |
Compared to John Mitchell and Cody McLeod — the other consistent fourth liners — Skille was pretty much on par because Mitchy had 21 points and McLeod had 13.
Skille also had a positive turnover ratio, and was able to muster nearly two shots on goal per game in the limited ice time he received.
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Still, he started out the season on fire, and with an effort that could not be matched by any player on the team. By the end of the season, that effort was dwindling at best.
Curious, because his future depends on his consistent effort throughout the season, and he’s out of a contract at this point, so it will be interesting to see if he gets re-signed.
Player Grade: C+
Skille gets a C+ because he was just barely above average, which is exactly what a C+ implies. He would have received an A+ had his effort continued in the same fashion throughout the entirety of the season, but he only showed it for the first half.
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Player Future
Jack Skille kind fizzled out at the end of the season, there’s no doubt about that. Fans loved his Skilles, but he went unnoticed during most of the second half of the season, and he’s probably not worth another contract.
It’s almost like the fight he had for his pro-tryout (PTO) contract buoyed him up for awhile, but then deflated as the season went on. He may find himself in the same situation next season because of his decline as the season continued.
He’ll certainly be hoping for a contract from the Colorado Avalanche, but it’s difficult to say what that contract would even look like. At best, he’d probably receive two years and 1.5 million a year, but that’s even pushing it.
Plus, the Colorado Avalanche could use Andreas Martinsen on the fourth line with Mitchy and McLeod, and they’d certainly be happier with the results.
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Jack Skille is likely to find himself in the free agent pool again, which means he will most likely be given another PTO because anticipating him to go during free agency is like anticipating to get sick, you just don’t do it.
Surely, having Skille as a depth player is not the worst thing, but the Avs will be looking for cap space this offseason, and Skille could find himself a victim of that search specifically because of Martinsen.