## Buffalo Sabres Buy Out Jeff Skinner’s Contract## Buffalo Sabres Buy Out Jeff Skinner’s Contract According to reports from Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman, the Buffalo Sabres are buying out the remaining three years of Jeff Skinner’s contract. The buyout will create a $1.4 million cap hit next season, followed by $4.4 million, $6.4 million, and $2.4 million in subsequent years. Skinner, 32, has spent the past six seasons with the Sabres, scoring 40, 35, and 33 goals during that span. However, he had a down season last year, scoring 24 goals and 46 points in 74 games. With Skinner’s contract off the books, the Sabres will have increased financial flexibility, which is a priority for the team’s management group. Several teams are expected to express interest in Skinner, including the Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville Predators, LA Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Vancouver Canucks. Skinner remains a skilled goalscorer, but he has also struggled with inconsistency and defensive play. It will be interesting to see where he ends up and how he performs with a new team.
The Buffalo Sabers move on. According to multiple reports, including initially from Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman, the Sabers are buying out the final three seasons of Jeff Skinner’s contract. With the Stanley Cup being awarded on Monday night, the NHL’s buyout window opens on Wednesday.
This is not current news. Friedman and Marek were working on this a week ago.
Multiple sources have confirmed to me that the Sabres will buy out the final three years of Skinner’s contract, barring an unforeseen transaction.
I discuss his BUF career and reasoning for the move.https://t.co/eZNOSiqJqD
— Chad DeDominicis (@CMDeDominicis) June 26, 2024
Skinner, 32, has three years left on his contract at a whopping $9 million per year, and last season he scored 24 goals and 46 points in 74 games. He has spent the last six seasons in Buffalo and while he may have just had a down season, he has scored 40, 35 and 33 goals as a Saber.
There will be a huge amount of interest in Skinner and he will be hearing from the likes of the Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville Predators, LA Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks, among others.
The $27 million buyout equates to a $1.4 million cap hit next season, then goes up to $4.4, $6.4 and then $2.4 million for three more seasons. This financial flexibility is something the Sabers management group desires.
Skinner is still in the running, it will be interesting to see where he ends up.
Jeff Skinner will be bought out by BUF.
– Very efficient goalscorer
– Strong chance creator, especially outside the striker
– Inconsistent playmaker
– Not much of a puck carrier
– Agile but not a fast skater
– Not involved defensively and in the foreground with little physicality pic.twitter.com/cincRug9ZZ— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 26, 2024
Photo credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
