The Buffalo Sabres are buying out the final three seasons of Jeff Skinner's contract, general manager Kevyn Adams announced Saturday.
The buyout will make Skinner an unrestricted free agent and will create over $7.5 million in cap space for the Sabres this coming season.
| Season | Initial cap hit | Buyout cap hit |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | $9M | $1.44M |
| 2025-26 | $9M | $4.44M |
| 2026-27 | $9M | $6.44M |
| 2027-28 | N/A | $2.44M |
| 2028-29 | N/A | $2.44M |
| 2029-30 | N/A | $2.44M |
Skinner produced a career-high 82 points in 2022-23 but managed only 46 points in 74 games in 2023-24.
The 32-year-old has proved to be a defensive liability despite his offensive production over the last three seasons.
Jeff Skinner will be bought out by BUF.
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 26, 2024
- Very efficient goal-scorer
- Strong chance creator, especially off rush
- Inconsistent playmaker
- Not much of a puck carrier
- Agile but not fast skater
- Uninvolved defensively and on the forecheck with little physicality pic.twitter.com/cincRug9ZZ
Skinner, a sniping winger, has reached the 30-goal mark six times in his career, netting a personal-best 40 in 2018-19 during his first season in Buffalo.
The Hurricanes' No. 7 pick in 2010, Skinner won the Calder Trophy in 2011 and spent his first eight years in Carolina. He was traded to Buffalo in 2018 before signing an eight-year, $72-million contract with the Sabres in 2019.
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