
The Buffalo Sabres announced on Saturday that they have bought out veteran winger Jeff Skinner.
Skinner was set to enter the sixth year of his eight-year, $72 million contract in 2024-25. By buying out the three remaining years of his deal, the Sabres will now be able to spread the cap hit over the next six seasons while paying Skinner two-thirds of the money he was originally owed.
“We initiated the process today, so it’s a step-by-step process,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said on Saturday. “We started that process early this morning. That’s our intention moving forward.”
Jeff Skinner was a standout performer for the majority of his six seasons in Buffalo. His best year came in 2022–23 when he had a career-high 82 points in 79 games.
However, Skinner’s form took a major dip last season. He only managed 24 goals and 22 assists to finish the campaign with 46 points.
The Sabres decided to buy out Skinner because they were unlikely to be able to trade him. He held a no-movement clause, which he reportedly didn’t want to give up, while the franchise would have a hard time finding takes for his huge salary even if he was open to a move.
Despite a down year, Skinner is expected to have more than a few suitors on the open market. His career stats include 357 goals and 313 assists for a total of 670 points in 1,006 NHL games.