The Summer of 2024 is bound to be one of high intrigue for the Buffalo Sabres, and it could already be off to quite the start.
Rumors have been abundant all week that the Sabres are planning to buy Jeff Skinner out of the remainder of his contract, something that Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman has said is possible. Though no official source has provided confirmation yet, the internet has been buzzing ever since, and a host of hypothetical landing spots for the star winger have been suggested.
Seeing Skinner go would be tough for Sabres fans, as he’s become one of the team’s most popular players since his arrival in 2018. Though this past season was one of the worst of his career, he’s still undeniably one of Buffalo’s top offensive weapons. However, as painful as the move would be, it might be even tougher to accept that it would have benefits, potentially many.
Parting With Skinner Would Be Tough, but Possibly Wise
In the six seasons since he was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes, Skinner has become a fixture for the Sabres and a major fan-favorite thanks to his electric goal-scoring and goofy off-ice personality. Despite enduring more ups and downs than a rollercoaster in that span, the 32-year-old has played a vital role in reversing the team’s fortunes post-COVID. But as important and beloved as he is, buying him out could have an upside.
After the failure that was 2023-24, the Sabres once again find themselves in transition. They’ve spent the last few years developing numerous potent young talents in the minor leagues. General manager Kevyn Adams is ready to begin incorporating them, something the March trade of Kyle Okposo seemed to imply. Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen are just two of the prospects that Buffalo could be looking to find a permanent role for in the fall, and roster space will be needed to do so. There have even been rumblings that Zemgus Girgensons, Buffalo’s longest-tenured player, could depart in free agency.
Most ostensibly, a Skinner buyout would help create that room. He’s been entrenched in the top six for some time, and his departure would create a sizeable hole, but it would also create layered opportunities for the rest of the lineup. Middle-line players like JJ Peterka, Dylan Cozens, and Peyton Krebs would have a chance to move up, and a call-up could then take their spot in the bottom six. Krebs, in particular, would benefit from an opportunity to be placed in more scoring situations after being moored 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 the Sabres around. Buffalo’s highest-paid player, Skinner, has three seasons and $27 million remaining on his contract, and he would receive that over the next six years if bought out. According to CapFriendly, doing so would give Adams over $7 million of extra cap space for next season, though that amount will drop significantly in the following two. Still, the GM could use the opportunity to pursue a free agent target or give someone else an extension.
Where Would Skinner Stand With Ruff?
The other primary reason a buyout would make sense is Buffalo’s new bench boss. Former longtime head coach Lindy Ruff, the first coaching casualty of the Pegula Regime in 2013, returns for his second tour of duty with the Sabres. He’s tasked with making them a more disciplined and diligent team, something predecessor Don Granto ultimately proved incapable of.
As the fifth-winningest head coach in NHL history, Ruff’s reputation proceeds him, players, and fans alike know exactly what they’re getting. He’s the embodiment of the “old school” coach with his hardnosed, two-way style that emphasizes defensive awareness and backchecking. And, unfortunately for Skinner, he’s not particularly good with either of those (from “Can Jeff Skinner rebound, adapt to expectations of Sabres coach Lindy Ruff?”, The Buffalo News, 5/6/24).
Please make no mistake: the Toronto native is one of his generation’s best pure goal scorers, and his 357 tallies rank him 17th among active skaters. But he’s earned the reputation of a one-dimensional player throughout his career and has done little to dispel that. His career minus-2 rating is a testament to such, and he’s finished with a positive rating only three times in 14 seasons. It seemed he finally bucked the trend in the 2022-23 season with a career-best plus-15, but he fell back to his old ways this past year with a minus-2.
As undeniable as his offensive acumen is, that kind 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 aren’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 remains with Buffalo next season, Ruff may not prioritize him, and it’s possible that his ice time and placement in the lineup could fall even if he continues to produce.
What Will The Summer Bring?
For their part, the Sabres are aware of the rumors surrounding Skinner and Adams acknowledged their validity on Thursday ahead of the NHL Draft in Las Vegas.
“Everything’s on the table,” Adams said to Buffalo’s WGRZ. “We’re going to look at every possible scenario, whether that’s trade opportunities to make our team better, who’s out there in free agency. Those are things we’re looking at and juggling. No final decision has been made on Jeff yet. We’re not at that point. We can still continue to see how this all shakes out.”
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A trade seems less realistic, as Skinner’s contract has a full no-movement provision, and Adams stated that he hasn’t indicated that he would waive it. If No. 53 is destined to leave Buffalo, it will almost certainly be via buyout, a move that could be beneficial but also have the chance to backfire.
Skinner is coming off one of his worst seasons, in which his production dipped precipitously, and he was even demoted to the third line. Despite this, he’s still one of the Sabres’ biggest pieces, and cutting him lose 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 would happen. Do they have the depth to justify such a big roll of the dice?
What do you think, Sabres fans? Is this the move, or would it be a mistake?
