Buyout of Jeff Skinner Numbers

[xzy89c1]

We will never win with him. Horrible influence on team as he floats around and competes when he feels like. 

These numbers are Palatable

[WhenWillItEnd66]

I am in....... Buy him out and bring in a power forward

[inkman]

Finally some rational discussion 

[That Aud Smell]

That '26-'27 cap hit is a bit prohibitive.

In theory, though, I am very much on board with this idea. I have come to view Skinner as a poster child for the type of player who puts up numbers on a non-playoff team.

[oddoublee]

i am all for this. i do believe KA will keep him one more year - and reduce the buyout to 4 years instead of 6. plus - if he finishes strong this year - and gets hot next year - the odds of getting a draft pick for him go up since his long term cost goes way down. KA will have to retain a little salary - but...could be worth it.

all of that said - if they buy him out this offseason - i will sing to the high heavens. 

[StuckinFL]

I'd rather retain salary and package him with some picks. The sooner the noose is off the better. 

Or send him to the minors. 

Edited March 7 by StuckinFL

[DarthEbriate]

Yup.

It was completely untenable until this season (2022-23 he had the $7.5M roster bonus) and it makes most sense financially after next season in the summer of 2025. The flat cap (and let's be honest, Skinner's goal-scoring last season -- he's a good scorer) also put a bit of a damper on the possibility.

He is a very good player. He's a good 2nd line winger.

He is not a core piece that you build around on any playoff team. He's your...  Alexei Kovalev (who is a lot better than anyone remembers, who also happened to play with Lemieux, Jagr, and Koivu. When did he win his Cup? At age 20. [He played in the NHL until age 39]). And I don't want JJP, Quinn, Kulich, or Benson learning from him.

[Crusader1969]

47 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

That '26-'27 cap hit is a bit prohibitive.

In theory, though, I am very much on board with this idea. I have come to view Skinner as a poster child for the type of player who puts up numbers on a non-playoff team.

hopefully the cap continues to escalate higher....  

[inkman]

43 minutes ago, StuckinFL said:

I'd rather retain salary and package him with some picks. The sooner the noose is off the better. 

Or send him to the minors. 

The Sabres need to find the team left out of the musical chairs game of acquiring scoring at the deadline and make an offer they can’t refuse. Skinner plus Rosen plus name your draft pick with maximum salary retention.  Let’s get serious about winning.  Screw this penny pinching crap.  Act like a real franchise. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

This is the opportunity to trade him by Friday.  Yes he has an NMC, but he can accept a trade.  Talk to him, find out where he is willing to go and trade him there regardless of retention and return.  Get as much of his contract off the books as possible and move on.

20 hours ago, inkman said:

Screw this penny pinching crap.  Act like a real franchise. 

You need a real GM for that.

Edited March 8 by GASabresIUFAN

[inkman]

2 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

This is the opportunity to trade him by Friday.  Yes he has an NMC, but he can accept a trade.  Talk to him, find out where he is willing to go and trade him there regardless of retention and return.  Get a much of his contract off the books as possible and move on.

You need a real GM for that.

He says Terry hasn’t put restrictions on him but it’s hard to look at the resume and think otherwise. 

[Pimlach]

3 minutes ago, inkman said:

The Sabres need to find the team left out of the musical chairs game of acquiring scoring at the deadline and make an offer they can’t refuse. Skinner plus Rosen plus name your draft pick with maximum salary retention.  Let’s get serious about winning.  Screw this penny pinching crap.  Act like a real franchise. 

What is the Sabres return?  Why do we have to throw in more if we retain a lot of salary? 
 

Unfortunately, I see skinner playing one more year and then maybe a trade/buyout. 

[inkman]

2 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

What is the Sabres return?  Why do we have to throw in more if we retain a lot of salary? 
 

Unfortunately, I see skinner playing one more year and then maybe a trade/buyout. 

Future considerations.  With his contract, even with retention, and play style, there won’t be a lot of interest.  Make it someone’s interest.  

[Mustache of God]

I've heard (from a friend who knows people in the front office), who after a few drinks let it slip that they are trying to move on from Skinner. It's a move you'd have to eat salary and maybe have a 3rd party take another 25% on top of the 50% you retain.

I'll believe it when I see it but at least they're trying?

[oddoublee]

49 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Yup.

It was completely untenable until this season (2022-23 he had the $7.5M roster bonus) and it makes most sense financially after next season in the summer of 2025. The flat cap (and let's be honest, Skinner's goal-scoring last season -- he's a good scorer) also put a bit of a damper on the possibility.

He is a very good player. He's a good 2nd line winger.

He is not a core piece that you build around on any playoff team. He's your...  Alexei Kovalev (who is a lot better than anyone remembers, who also happened to play with Lemieux, Jagr, and Koivu. When did he win his Cup? At age 20. [He played in the NHL until age 39]). And I don't want JJP, Quinn, Kulich, or Benson learning from him.

good assessment. i still struggle to think of him as a top 6 winger in terms of minutes. my impression has always been he is a 3rd line minutes guy....UNLESS...your team is down 2 goals going into the 3rd. then you play the living crap out of him looking to strike gold. 

his style of play would make a head coach in the playoffs go absolutely nuts. 

[bob_sauve28]

Who replaces him?

[JustOneParade]

14 minutes ago, oddoublee said:

good assessment. i still struggle to think of him as a top 6 winger in terms of minutes. my impression has always been he is a 3rd line minutes guy....UNLESS...your team is down 2 goals going into the 3rd. then you play the living crap out of him looking to strike gold. 

his style of play would make a head coach in the playoffs go absolutely nuts. 

We haven't found out yet and may never know.

[Doohicksie]

9 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Who replaces him?

We have a plethora of top six forwards in waiting.

[Hank]

Nice to see some of you finally getting on board with something I've been saying for months. Again. 

I'll say it again, his contract is structured to be bought out after next season, that's when it will happen. 

I'll also say this again, HE HAS A NO MOVEMENT CLAUSE!! HE WONT BE TRADED!!!  Before one of you geniuses suggests it, he also can't be waived and sent to Rochester, Because he has a no movement clause!

[bob_sauve28]

8 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

We have a plethora of top six forwards in waiting.

So wait at least a year

[LGR4GM]

2 hours ago, StuckinFL said:

I'd rather retain salary and package him with some picks. The sooner the noose is off the better. 

Or send him to the minors. 

Jeff Skinner, for the 1,000,000 times has a full NO MOVEMENT CLAUSE or an NMC. Good luck getting him to agree to any of the things you say here. 

51 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Who replaces him?

Matt Savoie. Jiri Kulich. UFA

[mjd1001]

50 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Who replaces him?

Until you are sure someone who replaces him is going to give you 25-30 goals, or you are sure Skinner's production is going to drop 40-50%, I don't get rid of him.  I can agree that he isn't great in his own zone, but I still do not hardly EVER see him making mistakes that cause goals against, or him being out of postion frequently, or turning the puck over in the neutral zone leading to goals against.

I get it, he's not physical, he doesn't rush to the boards to win battles.  But he DOES score you about 30 goals per year and I simply do not see him causing issues that lead to major goals against. I have looked. I have watched him on the ice. I have looked at replays of goals allowed. He is not a positive without the puck, but I don't see him as a negative and he is most times literally the only player (along with Zemgus) that will go to the front of the net on the offensive zone.

[Flashsabre]

Once they move on from Skinner then Brindamour will come once Carolina won’t pay him.😜

Edited March 7 by Flashsabre

[PerreaultForever]

Let's be optimistic. He can't and won't be traded so MAYBE a buyout is part of the "plan". There was and is talk that the Sabres are operating under an internal cap. The math would support that idea so MAYBE it's not Pegula being cheap, MAYBE it's setting a number that allows them to add Skinner buyout money onto it and still function smoothly. I'm going to hope on that one until it's proven wrong (which it probably is).

In any event, Skinner has to go and the sooner the better by any means and any way. 

(then with his buyout money in hand he will sign for cheap with Toronto or Detroit, score 50 goals, but somehow knock them out of the playoffs for a spot we can take)

[That Aud Smell]

51 minutes ago, Hank said:

Before one of you geniuses suggests it, he also can't be waived and sent to Rochester, Because he has a no movement clause!

Hey, hey. Simmah down. We already had a conversation today about name calling.

10 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I still do not hardly EVER see him making mistakes that cause goals against, or him being out of postion frequently, or turning the puck over in the neutral zone leading to goals against.

Sir! Sir!

C'mon, man. If you're not seeing him do those things it must be because he's not even putting himself in a position where he looks responsible for a goal against. The guy is the dictionary definition of a streaky goal scoring who does too much floating in all 3 zones.

Grab a torch! Grab a pitchfork! We're running Skinny out on a rail.