What does Jeff Skinner think about the signing?

[SDS]

I’m sure he considered a life playing next to Jack Eichel was a dream set up.

[IKnowPhysics]

But I'm sure he ain't mad about Staal, and eventually Cozens.

 

Better than an in--over-his-head Mittelstadt or a non-ideal Johansson.

[Gabrielor]

He's gotten paid already. His personal totals are probably secondary to getting to the damn playoffs, in his eyes.

[tom webster]

9 minutes ago, SDS said:

I’m sure he considered a life playing next to Jack Eichel was a dream set up.

Him and Hall work out together so they must like each other. I guess the question is how did he and Staal get along in Carolina.

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

12 minutes ago, SDS said:

I’m sure he considered a life playing next to Jack Eichel was a dream set up.

I'm thinking he's expecting 30g/70pts this season with better line mates

[Cal Naughton Jr]

He’s going to have a bounce back year. Plus winning usually cures all. 

[Thorner]

20 minutes ago, SDS said:

I’m sure he considered a life playing next to Jack Eichel was a dream set up.

 

9 minutes ago, Gabrielor said:

He's gotten paid already. His personal totals are probably secondary to getting to the damn playoffs, in his eyes.

Honestly, this. I'll think he'll be happy if he's producing, Staal and Reinhart should really help that, and it's not like he won't ever see spot duty with JE.

Maybe a bit of a friendly competition that actually benefits. 

Edited October 12, 2020 by Thorny

[Curt]

6 minutes ago, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

I'm thinking he's expecting 30g/70pts this season with better line mates

For Skinner?  I’m expecting a major rebound and 30 goals, but I doubt 70 points is happening.  He doesn’t get assists like that.

[SDS]

Nobody thinks he is disappointed? I would be. 

[IKnowPhysics]

3 minutes ago, SDS said:

Nobody thinks he is disappointed? I would be. 

Play with Jack and lose.

Play with Staal and win.

 

Hmm.

[SDS]

Just now, IKnowPhysics said:

Play with Jack and lose.

Play with Staal and win.

 

Hmm.

That’s a false choice. There’s nothing to say that when he signed he didn’t imagine being on the top line and the other lines being fixed a different way.

[Curt]

7 minutes ago, SDS said:

Nobody thinks he is disappointed? I would be. 

I would think he is happy to have Hall.  He didn’t play with Jack last season, and Hall wasn’t even here then.  And whose to say that Skinner won’t play with Jack?  He is already locked in at $9M for years to come.  He probably wants to win.

Skinner may have envisioned himself playing with Jack, but he isn’t stupid.  I’m sure he knows that things don’t stay the same forever.  I’m sure he realized that he may not always be with Jack.

Edited October 12, 2020 by Curt

[Andrew Amerk]

If he’s a team player, then he is excited that the team has added better players, regardless of which ones he ends up on a line with - they’re on his team. 

[Gabrielor]

6 minutes ago, SDS said:

That’s a false choice. There’s nothing to say that when he signed he didn’t imagine being on the top line and the other lines being fixed a different way.

It's equally flawed to think Skinner signed the contract with something as trivial as 'being guaranteed ice time with Eichel' in mind.

He's probably happy the team is getting better. It takes an elite LW to be considered better than Skinner.

[LabattBlue]

I hope he is so mad, he pulls a Berglund and goes home. 

[Thorner]

22 minutes ago, SDS said:

Nobody thinks he is disappointed? I would be. 

Reign in hell, serve in heaven, something something. Ya, I'm sure there's some of that. 

But at the end of the day I'm hoping he'd be smart enough to see they very clearly had a talent gap to make up. If we wanted to convert into a good team, being a one dimensional goal scorer, there was always a real chance he'd be eclipsed in talent by one or more players.

He should be reasonably happy he's being paid as if he hasn't/won't be. 

Edited October 13, 2020 by Thorny

[IKnowPhysics]

5 minutes ago, SDS said:

That’s a false choice. There’s nothing to say that when he signed he didn’t imagine being on the top line and the other lines being fixed a different way.

Aye, it is.  But winning would surely alleviate bad feeling about line assignments, which is what we'll get from an improved roster: a better chance to win.  If he was going to be mad, I would have though he'd be mad about not playing with Jack this past year.

He signed a guaranteed eight year contract.  Do you think he had an expectation that he would be able to choose his linemates for eight years?  He knows he has a role to play and there are high expectations (nine million expectations) of his performance.  He's competitive.  He wants to win.  I think he'd be looking forward to an improved team, improved linemates (from this past year especially), and likely easier quality of competition.

 

And hell, with his competitive spirit, he may even make it his business to try to usurp Hall on the top line.

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, IKnowPhysics said:

Aye, it is.  But winning would surely alleviate bad feeling about line assignments, which is what we'll get from an improved roster: a better chance to win.  If he was going to be mad, I would have though he'd be mad about not playing with Jack this past year.

He signed a guaranteed eight year contract.  Do you think he had an expectation that he would be able to choose his linemates for eight years?  He knows he has a role to play and there are high expectations (nine million expectations) of his performance.  He's competitive.  He wants to win.  I think he'd be looking forward to an improved team, improved linemates (from this past year especially), and likely easier quality of competition.

 

And hell, with his competitive spirit, he may even make it his business to try to usurp Hall on the top line.

Yup. Botterill would bring in bottom 6 guys and hope competition would elevate one to a status above. 

This is two first line guys "competing" to see who plays first line. That's the good competition. 

[IKnowPhysics]

5 minutes ago, Thorny said:

This is two first line guys "competing" to see who plays first line. That's the good competition. 

Agreed.  A one-act play:

 

Jeff Skinner: Who does this bitch-assed 1st overall bust, draft-lottery winning, merely $8M/1year chump think he is walking into this lineup like he owns the place?  I got 40 more career goals than this punk ass.  I'll pirouette on his kicked-in face.

Taylor Hall: I'mma drive my yacht that says 'Ralph' on the back over your nine assist-havin' ass, license or no license, like Olofsson ran over your roster spot on Jack's hip, beeaatch.  I LIKE BOATS.

[gg1]

Considering that Hall trains with Skinner in the off-season, and specifically cited the relationship as one of the reasons for signing with the Sabres, I'm guessing Skinner is not too upset.  

[nfreeman]

1 hour ago, IKnowPhysics said:

Aye, it is.  But winning would surely alleviate bad feeling about line assignments, which is what we'll get from an improved roster: a better chance to win.  If he was going to be mad, I would have though he'd be mad about not playing with Jack this past year.

He signed a guaranteed eight year contract.  Do you think he had an expectation that he would be able to choose his linemates for eight years?  He knows he has a role to play and there are high expectations (nine million expectations) of his performance.  He's competitive.  He wants to win.  I think he'd be looking forward to an improved team, improved linemates (from this past year especially), and likely easier quality of competition.

 

And hell, with his competitive spirit, he may even make it his business to try to usurp Hall on the top line.

I agree with most of this, but I also think Skinner wants to play with Eichel and was PO'd about not doing so last year, and some frustration with that and with crappy linemates crept into his play.  I'd guess that he was hoping to play there this coming season.

However, I think that if Staal is up to the task -- and there is a good chance he is -- Skinner-Staal-Reino could be a terrific 2nd line, and I think Skinner would buy in, play hard and score a ton of goals again.

 

52 minutes ago, gg1 said:

Considering that Hall trains with Skinner in the off-season, and specifically cited the relationship as one of the reasons for signing with the Sabres, I'm guessing Skinner is not too upset.  

Good call here.  A bit miffed, maybe, but not at Hall.  As noted upthread he'll probably take it as a challenge and turn up his game.

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

2 hours ago, Curt said:

For Skinner?  I’m expecting a major rebound and 30 goals, but I doubt 70 points is happening.  He doesn’t get assists like that.

Normally I'd agree with you here but I'm assuming his linemates are going to be 1) Staal and VO or 2) Eichel and Reinhart.   

For #1 he isn't going to be the only sniper on the line that other teams can cheat towards.  They will have VO on the other wing.  Staal is also going to clean up a lot of those pucks that Skinner likes to put into dangerous areas.  I think this is likely the line that Krueger roles with out of camp and it's going to be hard for other teams to match up against because their best guys will play against the Hall-Eichel-Reino line

For #2 he's going to have Eichel and Reinhart feeding him puck.  Eichel is Eichel so other teams are going to have to assume he will Eichel in which case Skinner has closer to 40g but less assists.  

 

PS - I'm so glad these are the conversations right now instead of how the draft lottery is going to screw the sabres again next year 😁

[Eleven]

29 minutes ago, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

Normally I'd agree with you here but I'm assuming his linemates are going to be 1) Staal and VO or 2) Eichel and Reinhart.   

For #1 he isn't going to be the only sniper on the line that other teams can cheat towards.  They will have VO on the other wing.  Staal is also going to clean up a lot of those pucks that Skinner likes to put into dangerous areas.  I think this is likely the line that Krueger roles with out of camp and it's going to be hard for other teams to match up against because their best guys will play against the Hall-Eichel-Reino line

For #2 he's going to have Eichel and Reinhart feeding him puck.  Eichel is Eichel so other teams are going to have to assume he will Eichel in which case Skinner has closer to 40g but less assists.  

 

PS - I'm so glad these are the conversations right now instead of how the draft lottery is going to screw the sabres again next year 😁

The Sabres are one goaltender away from not being eligible for the draft lottery next year.  And that one goaltender may or may not be an improved Ullmark.  This team is going to be good, if it ever sees the ice.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Why don't people think that Skinner will be playing with Eichel next year?  The Hall McDavid combo didn't work because both players wanted the puck in the offensive zone.  I don't think that is all that different then Hall Eichel.  I believe Skinner will be Jack's LW to start the season and Hall will be on Staal's wing.  

I'm thinking our 1-2 punch will be

Skinner Eichel Reinhart

Hall Staal VO

Where you will see Hall and Jack together is the No. 1 PP.  The addition of Hall gives Jack more of an opportunity to launch the shot from high slot or top of the face off circle.  

Edited October 13, 2020 by GASabresIUFAN

[Stoner]

He still hasn't shown RaKru much if anything.