Jeff Skinner

The Carolina Hurricanes surprised many by selecting Jeff Skinner with the seventh pick of the 2010 NHL Draft. The forward responded not only by earning a full-time NHL job at age 18, but also by scoring 31 goals and leading all first-year players with 63 points to win the 2011 Calder Trophy as the League's top rookie. However, Skinner has yet to reach that same level of play since his fast start. As the 21-year-old enters his fourth NHL season, the first of a six-year, $34.35 million contract, his coach said it's time for Skinner to take the next step in his development. Skinner's second season was marred by a five-week absence due to a concussion. He had 12 goals and 24 points in 30 games before the injury, which occurred during a game against the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 7, 2011. When he returned, he was limited to eight goals in his final 34 games. He sustained another concussion last season, returned after five games and finished with 13 goals and 24 points in 42 games. Those numbers weren't awful, but they certainly can be improved. Muller sees Skinner's struggles as similar to what Buffalo Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers, the 2010 Calder winner who has struggled since then, has gone through. Another part of the problem could be self-applied pressure. Skinner signed his new contract in August 2012, and after scoring five goals in his first five games, had eight in his final 37. Muller said he believes the harder Skinner worked to produce at the level of the contract, the more it did to hurt his offensive play. To prevent a recurrence, Muller said most of his offseason talks with Skinner have revolved around making sure the young forward understands how important it is to round out his game, especially his play without the puck, so that he's able to make a contribution even if he's not scoring.