Buffalo Sabers could benefit from Jeff Skinner buyout – The Hockey Writers – Buffalo Sabers

The summer of 2024 promises to be full of intrigue for the Buffalo Sabres, and it could already be off to a promising start.

Rumors have been rife all week that the Sabers are considering trading Jeff Skinner for the remainder of his contract, which is possible according to Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman. While no official source has yet provided confirmation, the internet has since been abuzz and a host of hypothetical landing spots for the star winger have been suggested.

Skinner’s departure would be difficult for Sabres fans, as he has become one of the team’s most popular players since arriving in 2018. While last season was one of the worst of his career, he remains undeniably one of Buffalo’s best offensive weapons. However, as painful as the trade is, it might be even harder to accept that it comes with upside, potentially many.

Parting ways with Skinner would be difficult, but perhaps wise

In the six seasons since he was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes, Skinner has become a staple of the Sabres and a fan favourite thanks to his electric goals and goofy off-ice personality. While he’s had more ups and downs than roller coasters during that span, the 32-year-old has been instrumental in the team’s post-COVID turnaround. But as important and beloved as he is, buying him out could have an upside.

After the failure of 2023-24, the Sabers find themselves in transition again. They have spent the last few years developing many powerful young talents into the minor leagues. General manager Kevyn Adams is ready to start incorporating them, which is what the Kyle Okposo trade seemed to imply in March. Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen are just two of the prospects Buffalo could look to find a permanent role for in the fall, and roster space will be needed to do so. There have even been rumors that Zemgus Girgensons, Buffalo’s longest-tenured player, could leave in free agency.

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 may need to turn around the Sabres. 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 is bought out. According to CapFriendly, this would give Adams over $7 million in additional cap space for next season, although that amount will decrease significantly over the next two. Still, the general manager could use the opportunity to pursue a free agent target or grant an extension to someone else.

What would Skinner’s position be against Ruff?

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

As the fifth most successful head coach in NHL history, Ruff’s reputation precedes him, players and fans alike know exactly what to expect. He is the epitome of the “old school” coach with his tough, two-way style that emphasizes defensive awareness and withdrawal. And, unfortunately for Skinner, he’s not particularly good in any of those areas (from “Can Jeff Skinner bounce, adapt to expectations of Sabers coach Lindy Ruff?” 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 him 17th among active skaters. But he earned a reputation as a one-dimensional player throughout his career and did little to dispel it. His career minus-2 mark attests to that, and he has only finished with a positive mark three times in 14 seasons. It looked like he finally turned things around in the 2022-23 season with a career-best plus-15, but he returned to his old ways last year with a minus-2 mark.

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 Sabres draft Konsta Helenius 14th overall

A trade seems less realistic because Skinner’s contract contains a full no-movement 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 counterproductive.

Skinner is coming off one of his worst seasons, in which his production dropped precipitously and he was even demoted to the third line. Despite that, he remains one of the Sabres’ biggest pieces, and losing him would be a significant gamble. 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 regressed significantly, there’s no guarantee that will happen. Do they have the depth to justify such a big roll of the dice?

What do you think, Sabers fans? Is this a good decision or would it be a mistake?