About Last Season: Brady Skjei

Brady Skjei: 2022-23 By the Numbers

• Age: 29
• NHL Seasons: 8
• Scoring: 18 goals, 20 assists, 38 points in 81 games
• Playoff Scoring: 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points in 15 games
• Average TOI: 18:33 ES, 0:56 PP, 2:18 SH
• Contract Status: Signed through 2023-24 at $5.25 million AAV

Brady Skjei has simply continued to get better and better as a Hurricane since coming over from the New York Rangers at the 2020 trade deadline. His offensive instincts, skating, shot, puck-moving ability and chemistry with Brett Pesce on the Hurricanes’ second defensive pair have made him a valuable piece of the top four for the past few years.

This past year, Skjei took his offensive game to new heights, giving the Hurricanes an added weapon from the back end as he set a career high with 18 goals. Skjei seems to have a knack for getting accurate shots on net from the point, and, this year, more and more of them found the twine.

Skjei even earned a little bit of time quarterbacking the Hurricanes’ second power-play unit for stretches in the regular season, and performed admirably in that role until Shayne Gostisbehere came over at the trade deadline. He also played a key role on one of the best penalty-killing units in the league, playing over two minutes per game shorthanded.

Of course, Skjei’s best attribute for the Hurricanes has been the aforementioned chemistry with Pesce. Skjei’s offensive instincts, skating and puck-moving ability are an ideal pairing with Pesce’s shutdown games, and the duo has been an excellent second pairing for Carolina, often getting tasked with playing against the opposition’s best players in the past two years.

The duo did have some rough games in the playoffs, and Skjei’s scoring did dry up with just one goal in 15 games. His regular season performance has taken a dip in the playoffs each of the past two years, and he seems to be more prone to the defensive breakdowns that occasionally plague his game in the regular season during the playoffs.

That’s something to bear in mind as the Hurricanes enter potential contract negotiations with Skjei entering the last year of his deal. His role on the Hurricanes is likely to change quite a bit next season, with Dmitry Orlov taking over the No. 2 left defenseman slot, and Pesce very likely to be traded.

It’s possible the Hurricanes work out an extension with Skjei, but his days as a Hurricane could also be numbered, particularly if Carolina’s pursuit of Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson comes to fruition.

What say you, Canes fans? How would you rate Skjei’s 2023-24 season? Would you like to see them extend him or move on?