Rumor: Skinner looking for 8 years @ 9-9.5 million to keep him from going to the market

[Paper]

This year JUST Nylander is holding out. Next year there will be at least 3 players, and it will increase until a lockout happens, again.

Why do the owners care what some hockey player makes? They get 50% of revenue. It doesn't matter if Jeff Skinner is making 3M or 15M, the money is the same in their pocket.

What it does matter is to other players, if Jeff Skinner is making 15M, some other players won't be getting paid as much.

 

[ZZamboni]

He’s gonna demand and get 8.5 - 9.5 per and max term ... from some team

 

[EscapedGoat]

Why does it matter to the owners what the top players on their teams make? There's a hard salary cap, if Jeff Skinner gets $9M all it means is guys in the bottom half of the roster make less. Now the rank and file of the NHLPA are the people who will have a beef and it will be with the star players for taking too much of the pie.

Your top 6 players average $8M AAV - leaves an average salary of $2M for the other 17 players on the roster. Seems ok to me.

This this this.

Drives me crazy when there's multiple comments on threads like this of "this is why there will be another lockout". Do people not realize that there is a salary cap? What one player makes means nothing. Spending more on top talent just means you spend less on bottom talent. It makes no difference to owners and has no effect on whether there will be another lockout.

 

[Bounces R Way]

That sounds like a terrible idea. Wonder which gullible GM it will be that thinks of it first.

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

That sounds like a terrible idea. Wonder which gullible GM it will be that thinks of it first.

Just look at his production.

 

[Harhis]

Just look at his production.

Just look at his oiSH% and individual S% and think for 5 seconds if you still think those are sustainable.

 

[ElLeetch]

This is why there'll be another lockout.

Why? The lockout and CBA was not to keep player salaries down (which, IANAL, but might be actually illegal), but to assure salaries were tied to revenue, to assure viability of the league and its teams. If the league is making money, and revenues are going up, there is no reason to deny players their share.

 

[KILLger]

Just look at his oiSH% and individual S% and think for 5 seconds if you still think those are sustainable.

Eichel's also isn't (too low) so that could lead to more assits for Skinner.

If he's over a PPG it's still worth to get paid (case in point: Ryan Getzlaf).

They form a dynamic duo no matter how you look at it.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Why? The lockout and CBA was not to keep player salaries down (which, IANAL, but might be actually illegal), but to assure salaries were tied to revenue, to assure viability of the league and its teams. If the league is making money, and revenues are going up, there is no reason to deny players their share.

Because salaries become inflated

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Just look at his oiSH% and individual S% and think for 5 seconds if you still think those are sustainable.

I meant the opposite of what you think I said.

 

[Slyfox]

He can easily get $9million. He's an elite skater and will only be 27 entering as a UFA.

 

[Pi]

He can easily get $9million. He's an elite skater and will only be 27 entering as a UFA.

Just because he can get that doesn’t mean he should. Besides this hot streak, can you explain to me how he’s much better than Kane or JvR?

You don’t give 9M to players like Skinner if you want to win. Sabres already have a bad contract in Okposo. Overpaying him based on a career year would be a big mistake. Sabres need to sign him around 7M. He’s not worth more than that.

 

[dasaybz]

Just because he can get that doesn’t mean he should. Besides this hot streak, can you explain to me how he’s much better than Kane or JvR?

You don’t give 9M to players like Skinner if you want to win. Sabres already have a bad contract in Okposo. Overpaying him based on a career year would be a big mistake. Sabres need to sign him around 7M. He’s not worth more than that.

Ya, let's just throw this hot streak away like it never happened.

 

[Pi]

Ya, let's just throw this hot streak away like it never happened.

No, not saying that. You don’t give a player 9M dollars based on a hot streak. He’s never ever done this before in 600 NHL games. Players don’t suddenly become PPG players out of nowhere at the age of 27-28 and stay there.

He’s basically Lupul right now who had a good year and a bit, got paid on a big contract (at the time 5.25M AAV was pretty big) and then proceeded to go back to normal.

The Sabres likely have no choice but to give him the $$$ because development of Alex Nylander and Mittelstadt hasn’t exactly gone too well so far.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

You guys are acting like Skinner was a middle 6 winger before this.

Former Calder winner. 3x 30+ goal scorer. Averages 30g per 82 games played. Never had a superstar playmaker like Eichel. Hes a 30 goal guy on his own creation. That's worth 7 on it's own. He will be a 40 goal guy with Jack for years. 8 x 8 let's get it signed the day after the TDL.

Jeff is an elite 5v5 goal scorer. One of the best goal scoring left wings in the entire league. He is not some Matt Beleskey type going off. He is already a 30 goal guy tapping into his untapped potential. We will keep him and HF can continue with their laughably wrong hot takes.

Such as Skinner is like Lupul Lupul has never scored 30 goals EVER. Jeff did it 3x already soon to be 4. Skinner>>>Lupul. Skinner is 26 and already has more goals then Lupul scored in his entire career.

 

[StreetHawk]

Just because he can get that doesn’t mean he should. Besides this hot streak, can you explain to me how he’s much better than Kane or JvR?

You don’t give 9M to players like Skinner if you want to win. Sabres already have a bad contract in Okposo. Overpaying him based on a career year would be a big mistake. Sabres need to sign him around 7M. He’s not worth more than that.

And if skinner believes he’s worth more than that should the sabres let him walk? That’s where teams cave in cause they look at the roster and say we can make up this production so they pay the premium.

 

[Pi]

And if skinner believes he’s worth more than that should the sabres let him walk? That’s where teams cave in cause they look at the roster and say we can make up this production so they pay the premium.

No. You tell Skinner that this is the best hockey you have ever played and you are playing on an amazing roster guaranteed to play with an elite player like Eichel for the rest of your career.

We think you are a good player but you aren’t worth 9M. Sign for what you are worth so we can keep this team together and add more pieces. We traded for you because we believed in your abilities. If you don’t want 7.5M which is higher than all your comparables, there is the door. Enjoy playing on bad teams again.

 

[Yatzhee]

No. You tell Skinner that this is the best hockey you have ever played and you are playing on an amazing roster guaranteed to play with an elite player like Eichel for the rest of your career.

We think you are a good player but you aren’t worth 9M. Sign for what you are worth so we can keep this team together and add more pieces. We traded for you because we believed in your abilities. If you don’t want 7.5M which is higher than all your comparables, there is the door. Enjoy playing on bad teams again.

No, you don't say that.
That is fantasy land.
You open discussions at a reasonable time, for the Sabres and Skinner, that's most likely mid season, then work the negotiations until the deadline area, roughly a week or so before it. If a deal cannot be struck, you make the decision to move him for assets, or choose to continue negotiations beyond the deadline, including and up to FA time.

Buffalo has some appeal career and location wise for Skinner, the money scenario will play itself out. Buffalo has the cap space to get it done.

 

[Kamiccolo]

As a fan who watched Skinner for years in Carolina and as a fan of a rival divisional team I will say this.

I HOPE to god Buffalo inks him to something in the 9M range or more. This is not going to last I can promise you that. If they let him walk they take a big step back and if they give him that money they have like 20M tied up in Skinner, Berglund, and Okposo long term.

Basically destroys any cap advantage they have with Eichel making 10 and Dahlin making 10+ in a few years.

 

[hector morrison]

Why do the owners care what some hockey player makes? They get 50% of revenue. It doesn't matter if Jeff Skinner is making 3M or 15M, the money is the same in their pocket.

What it does matter is to other players, if Jeff Skinner is making 15M, some other players won't be getting paid as much.

This should be the most obvious aspect! All the discussion usually revolves around a players value in regard to the market(his peers) and the highest bidder. As a UFA they have some say in the matter. Until then,the budget concerns of a team are reality.

 

[Aladyyn]

Skinner is a wonderful LW but does not drive a line by himself. Sabres cannot pay him on the basis of 20 some games. Even if he get 40 goals and 75 points he is not a 10 million dollar guy. I admit if he has 40 goals by the trade deadline I would have to reconsider but even then not ten million long term.

He was literally a one wrecking ball of a line before he was put with Eichel. And you know, for all those years in Carolina when he was doing it all himself.

 

[Jame]

As a fan who watched Skinner for years in Carolina and as a fan of a rival divisional team I will say this.

I HOPE to god Buffalo inks him to something in the 9M range or more. This is not going to last I can promise you that. If they let him walk they take a big step back and if they give him that money they have like 20M tied up in Skinner, Berglund, and Okposo long term.

Basically destroys any cap advantage they have with Eichel making 10 and Dahlin making 10+ in a few years.

I'm sure they be happy with the roster advantage instead

 

[Aladyyn]

Just look at his oiSH% and individual S% and think for 5 seconds if you still think those are sustainable.

Oh no he's only going to score 40 goals instead of 62. Boo fricking hoo.

 

[skyo]

Naw he'll get offers of about $7M- $7.5M per max.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I'd do it if I was Buffalo. Basically just a re-allocation of a portion of Pominville's expiring money.