Jeff Skinner‘s tenure with the Buffalo Sabres continues to be a wacky roller coaster ride and of all the players featured on their 2023-24 roster, he may be the toughest to assess in the aftermath.
The longtime winger was amongst the host of Sabres forwards that turned in lackluster performances, but of all of them, it was he who may have been the most disappointing. And with the winds of change blowing through Buffalo once again, Skinner’s future with the team isn’t set in stone and the upcoming season will be make-or-break.
The Curious Case of Jeff Skinner Endures
2022-23 was the best season of Skinner’s career in just about every sense. He transformed his game by passing more and creating chances for teammates rather than just scoring himself. Thanks in part to the capabilities of linemates Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch beside him, the decision to change his style yielded remarkable results. His 47 assists and 82 points were career-bests by significant margins (as was his plus-15 rating) and he still managed to record 35 goals, his third-highest total. In the process he dispelled his previous image as a one-dimensional finisher and helped the Sabres come within a single point of their first playoff berth in over 10 years.
The playmaking wasn’t the only new side of Skinner to emerge, as he also began to embrace his place as an elder statesman on the young team and became a vocal presence in the locker room, earning the admiration of teammates and fans alike. In his fifth season with the Sabres, the Toronto native had become the complete package and any memories of his previous struggles in Buffalo were put to rest.
Entering this season, the sky was the limit for the Sabres and the writing was on the wall that they would at long last return to the postseason. Instead, the team took a giant step in the opposite direction and suffered a seven-point decline, with a number of high-profile players wearing the blame. The entire top line failed to live up to what had been expected, but it was Skinner’s decline that was the most discouraging.
Nobody quite knows the reason why, but the electric goal scorer fans had grown accustomed to was nowhere to be seen. His production dropped precipitously to just 24 goals and 46 points, his lowest total in a full season since 2017-18. Sabres coach Don Granato had no answers for his star’s issues and was eventually forced to cut his ice time. Skinner finished the season averaging just 15:59 per game, his lowest since 2014-15.
To be fair, he did miss eight games due to injury, including three in December as a result of a hard hit from Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. Skinner has been known for his durability throughout his career and missing such an uncharacteristic amount of time could possibly have thrown him off, as he scored just 13 points in 36 games after the MacKinnon hit.
Despite his ailments, Skinner reached a historic milestone at the end of the season when he played in his 1000th career game on April 2, a feat all the more impressive when considering he did so at just 31 years old. It was a well-deserved honor for a player that has endured his fair share of setbacks throughout his career, but even so, questions remain.
Does Skinner Factor Into Buffalo’s Future?
Though the 32-year-old remains a fan favorite for the Sabres, a cloud of uncertainty looms. Skinner is now the oldest member of the Sabres and if the rumors that Zemgus Girgensons will depart in free agency this summer prove to be true, he’ll be the longest-tenured as well. He has three seasons remaining on the eight-year, $72 million contract he signed in 2019 and with yet another new head coach coming in, fans are wondering how much longer No. 53 could be in Buffalo (from “Can Jeff Skinner rebound, adapt to expectations of Sabres coach Lindy Ruff?”, The Buffalo News, 5/6/24).
Perhaps the biggest criticism of Skinner throughout his career has been his lack of two-way ability and that issue returned this season. He’s posted a positive plus/minus rating just three times and that spells trouble given who is about to be his new bench boss. As seen throughout his first tenure in Buffalo, Lindy Ruff demands accountability from all of his players and isn’t afraid of punishing those who aren’t. Skinner’s defensive weaknesses put him at an immediate disadvantage and coming off one of his worst seasons only complicates things further.
Skinner will have no choice but to adapt and there’s a possibility that Ruff’s tutelage could help improve his play without the puck and become better all-around. After all, he has the speed and maneuverability to be a strong penalty killer and his feisty personality on the ice frequently gets under the skin of opponents. Though it would be a gamble, he could be more effective if given more chances, but will Ruff trust him enough?
If that doesn’t happen and Skinner fails to bounce back next season, he could find himself as the odd man out and it wouldn’t be completely far-fetched to envision him being moved. He still carries a salary of $9 million per year and can nix any and all trades via his no-movement clause, but the Sabres could convince him to waive it if they could make the deal enticing enough and find a team that could assume his contract. Some have theorized that he could be bought out, but with the Sabres having far less financial leeway than in previous years, that isn’t likely at all.
Related: Sabres’ Dylan Cozens Shines for Team Canada in 2024 World Championships
2023-24 was not a kind season for Skinner and there’s an argument to be had that it was the worst of his career when taking everything into account. But if the undersized yet tenacious winger has shown anything throughout his time in Buffalo, it’s resilience. The Sabres as a whole will have a clean slate next season and that could prove to be exactly what they need. Skinner has proven the doubters wrong numerous times and as such, it would be unwise to count him out.
Final Grade: C
