The polarizing forward had a down season like many of the other Sabres top stars, but should he be a buyout candidate this summer?
Total Season Stats: 24G, 22A, 46 pts in 74 games
Age: 32
Contract Status: Eight-year, $72 million contract with NMC ending in 2026-27
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In case the emoji is not very clear, that is a rollercoaster, and the perfect word to describe Jeff Skinner’s time in Buffalo so far. The winger joined the Sabres looking like he was on the cusp of breaking through as a top line forward, but every time he has had a season where you start to feel that next season it’ll happen, he’s instead gone the other way and struggled mightily instead. Explain that if you can.
So with that in mind, when Skinner potted 35 goals but significantly, his 47 assists was the first time his assist numbers were well over his goals total and it was looking like he was ready to make the jump to a 1+ point-per-game player.
Alas, like many of his highly-touted teammates on the Sabres, Skinner struggled mightily in finishing the year on just 46 points (24G, 22A). While in the past his goals have often glossed over half-hearted defensive performances, there was no disguising that this season. Reluctantly, coach Don Granato was forced to reduce his time on ice with the forward ending the season on just 15:59 a night, his lowest since 2020-21 when he also struggled offensively en route to a 14 point season.
None of this is to take away from an incredible milestone that Skinner achieved this season, of featuring in 1,000 NHL games. It’s not one to take lightly either, given that he’s averaging about two points every three games (357 goals, 313 assists, 1006 games).
However, it is truly unfortunate that the likeable winger has become the punchline answer of a trivia question – as of right now Skinner is the only NHLer to have played over a thousand games without having skated in a playoff game. Yikes.
So, where do we go from here? There is no doubting that the 31-year-old is well-loved both by the fanbase and his teammates, and his off-ice hijinks certainly keeps the social media team busy and happy. However, the under-achieving Sabres need the on-ice product much more desperately than anything else, and it’ll come down to Lindy Ruff deciding if he wants to keep trying with Skinner (who by the laws of ups and downs is due a good season next year). If not, a buyout has certainly been talked about at length in the comments sections over the year, even though Kevyn Adams doesn’t have much wiggle room going into the coming season.
Season Grade: C
(After the backlash from the Comrie review and grade, I have recalibrated given what my fellow writers are handing out for grades.)