[Sportsnet 590] “The word is definitely out there that a (Jeff) Skinner buyout is a possibility.” @FriedgeHNIC discusses #LetsGoBuffalo offseason plans for the veteran and the three remaining years on his contract with @JeffMarek.
by PrinciplesRK
@Buffalo Sabres
9 Comments
Where there is smoke there is fire. Adams and Ruff have said nothing to make me think otherwise.
In the video Friedman says that while the hit is bad in a few years, there is an expectation that the cap will rise and the ~$7mil in savings next season is attractive to them knowing it’s a make or break season.
If Adams does that he’s 100% cooking up a big top 6 acquisition. The balls. The balls.
For those wondering, a buyout would make Skinner’s cap hits for the next six seasons:
2024-25: $1.4M ($7.5M savings)
2025-26: $4.4M ($4.5M savings)
2026-27: $6.4M ($2.5M savings)
2027-28: $2.4M ($2.4M cost)
2028-29: $2.4M ($2.4M cost)
2029-30: $2.4M ($2.4M cost)
The reason you buy him out this year isn’t on ice, it’s that the no fucks given attitude is getting chemotherapied out of the locker room.
And I’m all for that.
A Skinner buyout would send a message in a big way that Adams is really trying to change the dynamic of the forward group to push a more winning brand of hockey.
He just sticks out like a sore thumb as someone who doesn’t seem to fit the bill for what we need in the top nine going forward.
If we can replace Skinner with somebody who can either drive play offensively (Ehlers?, Konecny?) or play a much more responsible two way game (Buchnevich?, Marner?) and also find somebody to fit that shutdown line center role I think it would do wonders for this group overall.
My only two objections to buying our Skinner are that I’m curious about how Lindy could use him and also doesn’t seem like we’d be needing that cap space this year, even if/when they do make a move. If that’s the case, just waive him or let him ride the bench. Regardless, the reality is that this team needs to be harder to play against and Skinner has proved incapable of that minus some trash talk.
This is more obvious than the Sabres being interested in John Gibson for the 12th year in a row
I don’t see a buyout happening this year. I think it becomes a lot more feasible next year with less long term impact if I remember right.
24 goals is a significant thing to need to replace. With the cap hit on the buyout, I don’t see this as worth it.