Jeff Skinner’s time in Buffalo may be coming to an end

Since arriving in Buffalo in August 2018, Jeff Skinner has been a fan favorite. After scoring 40 goals in his first season with the Sabres, Skinner earned himself a lengthy contract extension. Since that day, the contract has been a topic of conversation. In case you forgot, Jeff signed an 8-year, $72 million contract extension to stay with the Sabres.

Although it hasn’t happened yet, there have been rumors that Skinner could be bought out this offseason.

In the clip above, Elliotte Friedman thinks Buffalo could move on from Skinner. Whether it’s a buyout or a trade, there is talk that Jeff could have played his last game with the Sabers in April. That’s all we know for now.

These are just words. Neither Skinner nor the Sabers have said anything. Hypothetically speaking, let’s just say Buffalo buys out the futures contract. If that happens, the Sabers would still owe Jeff money, but it would also free up cap space for the team. General manager Kevyn Adams has said what he wants to do this offseason and if he makes room it will help Buffalo in terms of getting more talent.

He is beloved by the Sabers fan base and while it would be hard to see him go; it helps Buffalo with what it wants to accomplish. Since signing the extension, Skinner has had his ups and downs. The first two years were horrible as he scored 21 goals in total.

During the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 campaigns, Jeff achieved 30 goals. This season was a throwback. In 74 matches played, Skinner scored 24 goals and recorded 22 assists. Again, I’m not sure of the veracity of his redemption. However, it would make sense since Buffalo is hoping to end the playoff drought.