Buffalo Sabres Could Benefit From Jeff Skinner Buyout – The Hockey Writers – Buffalo Sabres

The summer of 2024 is bound to be very intriguing for the Buffalo Sabres, and it could already be off to a good start.

Rumors have abounded all week that the Sabers are considering buying out the remainder of Jeff Skinner’s contract, which Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman says is possible. While no official source has yet provided confirmation, the internet has been abuzz since then, and a host of hypothetical locations for the star winger have been suggested.

Skinner’s departure would be difficult for Sabers fans, as he has become one of the team’s most popular players since arriving in 2018. Although last season was one of the worst of his career, he undeniably remains one of Buffalo’s best offensive weapons. However, as painful as the transfer may be, it might be even more difficult to accept that it carries benefits, potentially many.

Parting ways with Skinner would be difficult, but perhaps wise

In the six seasons since being acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes, Skinner has become a Sabers staple and a major fan favorite thanks to his electric scoring and goofy off-ice personality. Although he has endured more ups and downs than roller coasters during this period, the 32-year-old has played a vital role in turning around the team’s fortunes post-COVID. But as important and beloved as he is, his buyout could have an upside.

After the failed 2023-24 season, the Sabres find themselves in transition once again. They’ve spent the last few years developing a wealth of young talent in the minor leagues. General manager Kevyn Adams is ready to start integrating them, something the Kyle Okposo trade in March seemed to imply. Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen are just two of the prospects Buffalo could look to find permanent roles for in the fall, and it’s going to take roster space to do so. There have even been rumors that Zemgus Girgensons, Buffalo’s longest-tenured player, could leave as a free agent.

Obviously, a Skinner buyout would help create that space. He’s been entrenched in the top six for some time, and his departure would create a significant gap, but it would also create opportunities at multiple levels for the rest of the roster. Midfielders like JJ Peterka, Dylan Cozens and Peyton Krebs would have a chance to move up, and a call-up could then take their place in the bottom six. Krebs, in particular, would benefit from an opportunity to be placed in more scoring situations after being docked on the fourth line for much of the last two years.

A buyout would also create salary cap space that Adams could need to turn the Sabres around. Buffalo’s highest-paid player, Skinner, has three seasons and $27 million remaining on his contract, and he would receive it over the next six years if he were bought out. According to CapFriendly, that would give Adams more than $7 million in additional cap space for next season, though that amount would drop significantly over the next two. Still, the GM could use the opportunity to pursue a free-agent target or extend someone else.

What would Skinner’s position be against Ruff?

The other main reason a buyout would make sense is Buffalo’s new manager. Former longtime head coach Lindy Ruff, the first victim of the Pegula regime in 2013, returns for her second tour of duty with the Sabres. He is tasked with making them a more disciplined and diligent team, something his predecessor Don Granto ultimately proved incapable of.

As the fifth-winningest head coach in NHL history, Ruff’s reputation comes from knowing exactly what he’s getting from players and fans. He’s the epitome of the “old school” coach with his hard-nosed, two-way style that emphasizes defensive awareness and backchecking. And, unfortunately for Skinner, he’s not particularly good at either (from “Can Jeff Skinner bounce back and adapt to Sabres coach Lindy Ruff’s expectations?” Buffalo News5/6/24).

Make no mistake: The Toronto native is one of the best pure scorers of his generation, and his 357 goals rank 17th among active skaters. But he’s earned a reputation as a one-dimensional player throughout his career and hasn’t done much to dispel it. His career minus-2 rating is a testament to that, and he’s only finished with a positive rating three times in 14 seasons. It looked like he’d finally reversed that trend in 2022-23 with a career-best plus-15, but he reverted to his old ways last year with a minus-2.

As undeniable as his offensive acumen is, this type of player doesn’t fare well on teams coached by Ruff, who demands accountability from his players and has proven that there are consequences for those who don’t. . Skinner’s defensive weaknesses make it difficult for him to trust in critical situations, which doesn’t bode well for him now more than ever. If he ends up not being bought out and staying with Buffalo next season, Ruff might not prioritize him, and it’s possible his ice time and roster placement will decline even if he continues to produce .

What will summer bring?

For their part, the Sabres are aware of the rumors surrounding Skinner and Adams acknowledged their validity Thursday before the NHL draft in Las Vegas.

“Everything is on the table,” Adams told Buffalo’s WGRZ. “We’re going to look at every scenario, whether it’s trade opportunities to improve our team or who’s in free agency. Those are things we’re looking at and juggling. No final decisions have been made on Jeff yet. We’re not at that point. We can still continue to see how this all plays out.”

Related: Buffalo Sabers draft Konsta Helenius 14th overall

A trade seems less realistic because Skinner’s contract contains a full lock-in clause, and Adams said he hasn’t indicated he’ll waive it. If No. 53 is destined to leave Buffalo, it will almost certainly be via a buyout, a move that could be beneficial but also could backfire.

Skinner is coming off one of his worst seasons, in which his production plummeted and he was even demoted to the third line. Despite that, he remains one of the Sabres’ biggest assets, and letting him go would be a risky bet. The team would need other players to step up and replace his production in the lineup, and after a season in which the Sabres’ offense declined significantly, there’s no guarantee that will happen. Do they have the depth to justify such a gamble?

What do you think, Sabres fans? Is this the right decision or would it be a mistake?