[BN] Jeff Skinner pourra-t-il rebondir, s’adapter aux attentes de l’entraîneur des Sabres Lindy Ruff ?
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Spiritual_Bourbon
@Sabres de Buffalo
[BN] Jeff Skinner pourra-t-il rebondir, s’adapter aux attentes de l’entraîneur des Sabres Lindy Ruff ?
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Spiritual_Bourbon
6 Comments
https://archive.ph/wilfP
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The struggles that Skinner endured, coupled with another coaching change in Buffalo, has led fans to wonder whether there’s a possibility that he won’t be back next season. His no-move clause gives him the right to veto any trade, though, and any move would be next to impossible to complete because he has three years remaining on his contract with a $9 million-per-season cap hit.
Only teams trying to get to the cap floor would be able to take his entire cap hit. Why would Skinner willingly waive his no-trade protection to join a team like Chicago or San Jose, neither of which has a realistic chance of making the Stanley Cup playoffs next season? And to complete such a move, the Sabres would have to retain a portion of his contract while sending a draft pick or prospect along with Skinner to entice a team.
The Sabres are better off keeping Skinner for at least one more year to see if he’s able to succeed with Ruff as coach. After all, buying out the $22 million that Skinner is owed would cause them to have the following cap hits for the next six seasons: $1.44 million, $4.44 million, $6.44 million, $2.44 million, $2.44 million and $2.44 million.
There isn’t a player in Rochester or elsewhere in the Sabres’ prospect pipeline ready to replace the production that Skinner provides when he’s healthy and effective. His 282 even-strength goals since 2010 are more than every active NHL player except Alexander Ovechkin, Patrick Kane, John Tavares, Steven Stamkos, Sidney Crosby and Brad Marchand.
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JJ Peterka eventually took Skinner’s spot at first-line left wing and succeeded alongside Thompson and Tuch. Skinner didn’t have the same production with Peyton Krebs as his center, but the lineup will likely look different on opening night in Prague. Will the Sabres add another center who could be an option to pair with Skinner? We rarely saw him next to Dylan Cozens, but perhaps they would have chemistry with Jack Quinn at right wing. Changes to the forward depth chart may also influence how Ruff builds his lines.
Regardless of whom Skinner plays alongside, though, he’s going to have to evolve and adapt to Ruff’s expectations. Fly-by checks aren’t going to be acceptable with Ruff, nor will Skinner’s propensity to not contribute to the forecheck. He’s at his best when he’s getting under opponents’ skin and creating around the net but did neither consistently in the final months with Don Granato as coach.
“Try and help the team win in whatever role,” said Skinner. “I think that I’ve been around long enough to sort of be able to evaluate my own play and sort of tweak it when I’m not satisfied with it and know kind of what I can contribute and how I can help the team. And I think that’s always someone’s mindset but I think the more experience you have, the more in tune you are with what you can bring, and I’m pretty comfortable with kind of where I’m at in that sense.”
No, send him on his way. The dude isn’t a good fit anymore.
Toronto is the one place he might waive his NMC to go to.
Toronto is currently having their annual May mental breakdown.
So hear me out…. Utah, acting as a broker, retains 25% of Skinner’s salary in exchange for a 2024 2rd round pick. Buffalo trades Skinner to Toronto for Jake McCabe while retaining an additional 25%. Toronto gets Skinner at $4.5M. Buffalo gets a veteran defenseman, who isn’t shot, who has past ties to the organization. Utah gets a 2nd round pick.
I actually think Skinner would thrive on the Leafs and that the change of scenery would allow him to reboot his career. Plus, it would definitely revitalize the rivalry between the two teams.
He’s gonna rebound as long as people can stay healthy. If other teams gotta worry about tage, JJ and tuch he’s gonna get alot of opportunities to score.
He is good for one more rebound than buy him out. If don’t work, Healthy scratch for last 20 games and see if he can help if you make the playoffs. And it’d better be a playoff team next year.
Yes the guy who put up a PPG a year ago can rebound under a new coach just like he has before. Yes he deserves to be criticized but it’s obvious what this man is capable of.