NHL rumors: Buffalo Sabres reportedly close to signing Jeff Skinner
According to the latest NHL rumors, the Buffalo Sabres are getting close to agreeing to a long-term extension with pending free agent forward Jeff Skinner.
The Buffalo Sabres are hoping to keep pending free agent Jeff Skinner around. After acquiring him from the Carolina Hurricanes last summer for prospect Cliff Pu, a 2019 second round pick, a 2020 third round pick, and a 2020 sixth-round pick, he had a career season, reaching the 40 goal plateau for the first time. According to the latest NHL rumors, the Sabres are close to agreeing to a long-term extension with him.
This report comes from The Buffalo News. TSN insider Bob McKenzie spoke on this Wednesday Night on NBCSN, stating that new Sabres head coach Ralph Kreuger has had talks with Skinner and the two sides are very close to agreeing to a deal.
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Reportedly, the deal should be a long-term one, so expect it to be for either seven years or eight years. Skinner’s cap hit is expected to be somewhere in the $8.5 million to $9 million range.
Sabres general manager Jason Botterill is understandably under a lot of pressure to get him re-signed. Buffalo gave up quite a bit for him. Not re-signing him long-term would be a huge loss for a franchise who desperately needs some good news.
Not only did Skinner set a career-high with 40 goals, he also tied his career-high with 63 points. He averaged 18:31 of ice time per game, his highest total since the 2010-11 season.
The Sabres might not want to be on the higher end of the $9 million range, as Skinner started off strong, but ended in a bit of a slump. Before the All-Star break, he recorded 30 goals. However, after the All-Star break, Skinner recorded just 10 goals, including just one goal in 22 games from Feb. 17 to April 1.
Should he not hit the free agent market, this weakens the free agency class as far as forwards. Guys like Brett Connolly and Jordan Eberle benefit because if Skinner signs, suddenly they are two of the best wings available. It probably helps Joe Pavelski as well, should he decide to explore his options outside of San Jose.
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Buffalo is hoping to finally start getting some results after years of rebuilding. Re-signing Skinner would be excellent for the franchise’s morale. Not to mention it would be terrific for star center and captain Jack Eichel. The Sabres must keep in mind, though, they’ve got to sign Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Dahlin to extensions in the near future too.