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

[Harhis]

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

If he was shooting on his career average he would be on pace for 30 goals.

 

[gearharb]

Did someone really just compare Skinner to Lupul? What fantasy land do leafs fans live in?

 

[Aladyyn]

If he was shooting on his career average he would be on pace for 30 goals.

Because players will only ever shoot their career average...

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

If he was shooting on his career average he would be on pace for 30 goals.

Does "career average" mean a whole lot when the current situation is so different from the rest of his career?

 

[Aladyyn]

A quick look at Corsica reveals that Skinner is putting up career low shot attempt numbers and career high expected goal numbers. So he's shooting less but from better positions. His Sh% is likely to stay higher than his career average if he keeps this up.

 

[tsujimoto74]

If he was shooting on his career average he would be on pace for 30 goals.

Oh no, only 30?!

His sh% is higher this year because the quality of his chances is higher. He never got to play with a playmaker anywhere near Eichel's caliber in Carolina. Eichel feeds him lots of grade A chances and also draws the D's attention away from Skinner to himself.

 

[Harhis]

Oh no, only 30?!

His sh% is higher this year because the quality of his chances is higher. He never got to play with a playmaker anywhere near Eichel's caliber in Carolina. Eichel feeds him lots of grade A chances and also draws the D's attention away from Skinner to himself.

30+30 winger is not worth 9 million. I'm not saying he is not playing well. He's ask just is ridiculous.

 

[Jame]

If he was shooting on his career average he would be on pace for 30 goals.

What a shocker... an elite center raising the shooting % of an elite goal scorer....

I'm not sure why so many people think Skinner's years in Carolina, playing 2nd/3rd line role, with mediocre centers for the most part.... is even half as relevant to this contract debate as his play with Eichel.

 

[Selanne00008]

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 fine with 8.5, and I think it will be right around there. Cap wise we are doing great. Poms, Moulson (in them minors right now), Bogosian. Plenty of cap room to play with this offseason and next. Oh and our goaltenders are making around 4 mill COMBINED for the next 4 years. Most teams have 9+ coughed up to 2 goalie roster spots.

 

[Kamiccolo]

I'm fine with 8.5, and I think it will be right around there. Cap wise we are doing great. Poms, Moulson (in them minors right now), Bogosian. Plenty of cap room to play with this offseason and next. Oh and our goaltenders are making around 4 mill COMBINED for the next 4 years. Most teams have 9+ coughed up to 2 goalie roster spots.

If you guys can get him for 8, and his chemistry continues with Eichel (not even production just someone Eichel meshes with) you can live with that. Preferably he gets the Kane contract but I get it it's UFA and Buffalo need him more than he needs Buffalo.

However, I am not sold on the goaltending. 25 games doesn't change anything. Look at Talbot who had an outstanding year and then completely died two years after. Until he puts up for two years I am believing it is a hot streak / good season. If we are this time next year and he is still going good, I will admit he is legit without issue.

I stand by my point though that paying him 9M is trash especially when you have Dahlin and Reinhart needing new deals coming up.. And you consider if this goes through you have nearly 50M tied up in Eichel, Dahlin, Reinhart, Skinner, Berglund, and Okposo.

 

[Jame]

30+30 winger is not worth 9 million. I'm not saying he is not playing well. He's ask just is ridiculous.

If he scores 44 goals this year, will you still refer to him as a 30+30 winger?

What if he scores 52 goals? How much is he worth?

For 3 weeks we've been told he'll regress to the mean.... and in that time he's only increase his on pace goal scoring from 54 to 62....

 

[Slyfox]

I will take Skinner any day over JVR and Kane.

 

[Djp]

A quick look at Corsica reveals that Skinner is putting up career low shot attempt numbers and career high expected goal numbers. So he's shooting less but from better positions. His Sh% is likely to stay higher than his career average if he keeps this up.

This is why people on here are clueless in saying hes shooting at a higher % and that cant get sustained.

Instead he is hooting few shots (avoid low pct ones) and only shooting high pct ones

 

[Jame]

If you guys can get him for 8, and his chemistry continues with Eichel (not even production just someone Eichel meshes with) you can live with that. Preferably he gets the Kane contract but I get it it's UFA and Buffalo need him more than he needs Buffalo.

However, I am not sold on the goaltending. 25 games doesn't change anything. Look at Talbot who had an outstanding year and then completely died two years after. Until he puts up for two years I am believing it is a hot streak / good season. If we are this time next year and he is still going good, I will admit he is legit without issue.

I stand by my point though that paying him 9M is trash especially when you have Dahlin and Reinhart needing new deals coming up.. And you consider if this goes through you have nearly 50M tied up in Eichel, Dahlin, Reinhart, Skinner, Berglund, and Okposo.

I don't get the whole "fear the cap" approach... team's figure this stuff out all the time, they don't let critical pieces go over money.

Tampa has kept it's team together... at times it was difficult. They had to squeeze Kucherov to take a bridge deal (you can do that when you're building a winner that guys believe in).

Jason Botterill was billed as a cap guru.... the guy who made it work with big salaries in Pittsburgh. He's not letting Skinner go over cap space. He knows it's his job to make the cap work while keeping the top talent.

You can dump all these contracts in a spreadsheet, and very easily see how Buffalo can manage a huge Skinner contract. It doesn't put anything at risk.

 

[Kamiccolo]

I don't get the whole "fear the cap" approach... team's figure this stuff out all the time, they don't let critical pieces go over money.

Tampa has kept it's team together... at times it was difficult. They had to squeeze Kucherov to take a bridge deal (you can do that when you're building a winner that guys believe in).

Jason Botterill was billed as a cap guru.... the guy who made it work with big salaries in Pittsburgh. He's not letting Skinner go over cap space. He knows it's his job to make the cap work while keeping the top talent.

You can dump all these contracts in a spreadsheet, and very easily see how Buffalo can manage a huge Skinner contract. It doesn't put anything at risk.

The differnece is that the cap is used by legit stars. I'm sorry but Skinner, Berglund, and Okposo are not stars. Botterill isn't in the same spot he was with the Pens. Skinner is a UFA who will get paid in open market from someone. He has no loyalty to Buffalo. He can't really play hardball the best he can do is pitch his vision and ask him to take a bit less to stay which he might do but he has no reason to.

I see no issues with giving Eichel and Dahlin their money it's the other guys. The other guys aren't good enough to be your core / supporting guys.

 

[Saidin]

Sounds like William Karlsson from last year.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Sounds like William Karlsson from last year.

WK had 18 career goals before last year. Skinner averages 30 goals per 82 games of his career

 

[Aavvaa]

Sounds like William Karlsson from last year.

William Kalrsson had like 7 goals the year before he exploded. Skinner has hit multiple 30+ goal seasons.

Completely different situations.

 

[Saidin]

I stand corrected.

 

[Aavvaa]

The differnece is that the cap is used by legit stars. I'm sorry but Skinner, Berglund, and Okposo are not stars. Botterill isn't in the same spot he was with the Pens. Skinner is a UFA who will get paid in open market from someone. He has no loyalty to Buffalo. He can't really play hardball the best he can do is pitch his vision and ask him to take a bit less to stay which he might do but he has no reason to.

I see no issues with giving Eichel and Dahlin their money it's the other guys. The other guys aren't good enough to be your core / supporting guys.

Callahan at 5.8,? Killorn at 4.45? Coburn at 3.7? Stralman? Girardi? This idea that Tampa only reserves large amounts of it's cap for their star players is silly. They've handed out bad contracts, they just find a way to live with it (drafting, for example).

Also not saying that all those deals were bad, just some of them (mainly the first two)

 

[Selanne00008]

If you guys can get him for 8, and his chemistry continues with Eichel (not even production just someone Eichel meshes with) you can live with that. Preferably he gets the Kane contract but I get it it's UFA and Buffalo need him more than he needs Buffalo.

However, I am not sold on the goaltending. 25 games doesn't change anything. Look at Talbot who had an outstanding year and then completely died two years after. Until he puts up for two years I am believing it is a hot streak / good season. If we are this time next year and he is still going good, I will admit he is legit without issue.

I stand by my point though that paying him 9M is trash especially when you have Dahlin and Reinhart needing new deals coming up.. And you consider if this goes through you have nearly 50M tied up in Eichel, Dahlin, Reinhart, Skinner, Berglund, and Okposo.

Well, Hutton had a great year last year, so after 30+ starts this year, I'd say that's good enough to expect his bar to be raised to top 10 in the league.

The only issues on the cap are Okposo and Bergland as far as value you are getting out of them. I would not be opposed to bribing Seattle to take one of our 4 first rounders to take a guy like Okposo. The Sabres def need Skinner more than Skinner needs Buffalo. But he will re-sign for sure, I would be shocked if he didn't. He can't get any closer to home, TO certainly can not afford him. He's locked in to a line with a PPG power center for the rest of his career here, and he's close enough to home for any family member to take a quick drive across the Niagara river. Perosnally he would probly be stoked to get 8, but his agent will push the Sabres to the limit. 8.75 and I'm happy.

 

[AK87]

If Skinner keeps helping Buffalo win games he will get paid. Doesn't matter who he is playing with, Skinner has helped Buffalo turn a 360 and be one of the best/hottest teams in the league. Do you think Buffalo is where they are today without him? If they keep winning all season management will want him to stay and will sign him to big $$ next summer.

 

[Jame]

The differnece is that the cap is used by legit stars. I'm sorry but Skinner, Berglund, and Okposo are not stars.

I'm sorry... but the league's leading goal scorer... is a 26 year old star... who also happens to have elite chemistry with the teams franchise player/captain.

Botterill isn't in the same spot he was with the Pens. Skinner is a UFA who will get paid in open market from someone. He has no loyalty to Buffalo. He can't really play hardball the best he can do is pitch his vision and ask him to take a bit less to stay which he might do but he has no reason to.

Jeff Skinner had a full NMC close and would only waive it for Toronto (home) or Buffalo (close to home). Clearly... being close to home is important to him. I'll step out on a limb, and guess that winning and having a blast while doing it... is kind of important too.

Yes. Botterill has zero leverage. But Skinner also has plenty of reason to want to stay.

I see no issues with giving Eichel and Dahlin their money it's the other guys. The other guys aren't good enough to be your core / supporting guys.

Yea... the guy who has scored the 9th most ES Goals in the league over the last 3+ seasons is not good enough.

 

[Jame]

Assuming Skinner @9 per, the first time the cap would really be an issue for Buffalo would be in 2022, when they'd possibly lose Ristolainen to free agency when his current deal expires. And that assumes Dahlin is on a mega 12 million contract, Reinhart is extended coming off his bridge deal long term in the 6-7 range, and Mittelstadt is on his first bridge deal, and Ullmark is signed long term at 6ish.

There's really no $ figure that Buffalo should walk away from. That's the reality of winning.

 

[RodTheBawd]

The differnece is that the cap is used by legit stars. I'm sorry but Skinner, Berglund, and Okposo are not stars. Botterill isn't in the same spot he was with the Pens. Skinner is a UFA who will get paid in open market from someone. He has no loyalty to Buffalo. He can't really play hardball the best he can do is pitch his vision and ask him to take a bit less to stay which he might do but he has no reason to.

I see no issues with giving Eichel and Dahlin their money it's the other guys. The other guys aren't good enough to be your core / supporting guys.

Skinner was never in a position to be a star, he is now. And if reports were accurate, Toronto and Buffalo were his only trade destination choices, so it sounds to me he'd like to stay if paid properly.