Despite a solid bounce back in recent years, the contract of Jeff Skinner simply can't be justified, and now the Sabres are set to buy out his contract.
Before the 2019-20 season, Jeff Skinner inked a deal with the Buffalo Sabres that carried a cap hit of $9 million annually for eight seasons, and now, the team are ready to move on. Despite a resurgence back to 82 points in 2022-23, Skinner had another down year this past season, and now, the team are moving on from him in the coming days.
When bought out, the Sabres will now be on the hook for $2.5 million each year for the next six years, and while there's very minimal savings, it's the right move for this team. With an emerging young roster, the Sabres are looking to compete for a playoff spot, and now with money saved up and another roster spot to fill, we could see them be aggressive in free agency.
As for Skinner, he's shown the ability to still score well, and now that he will be free to sign elsewhere, he may find himself on a playoff team that's ready to compete for a Stanley Cup moving forward.
