Skinner will get paid this offseason, but maybe not as high as some reports
Chris Nichols of Nichols on Hockey: Bob McKenzie was on TSN 690 and was talking about Buffalo Sabres pending free agent winger Jeff Skinner. For the most part of his current contract, Skinner hasn’t produced consistently and has battle injuries.
McKenzie notes that though some people are saying he could get $9 or $10 million if he keeps things up, it would be interesting to see if anyone would give him that much money.
“If you’re convinced that what he’s doing right now is what he’s going to be able to do for the next number of years – yeah, sure, those numbers apply. But I think there’s been enough inconsistency in his career where there’s a little bit of buyer beware in terms of the really big numbers.
“But at the end of the day, as long as you score in your contract year, you are going to get paid in free agency, no doubt about it.”
There wasn’t much of a market for Skinner this past offseason
Chris Nichols of Nichols on Hockey: Pierre LeBrun was on TSN 1040 and was talking about the Sabres and Jeff Skinner. It was noted to LeBrun about the steal of a deal the Sabres got, but LeBrun adds that there wasn’t a great trade market for him in the offseason. The Hurricanes had been trying to trade him at the draft and all summer with little interest.
“And I don’t know if there were concerns about his health, or what, but it wasn’t a big market. It’s not like the Hurricanes didn’t know how to trade Jeff Skinner. They talked to every team available and couldn’t get going. L.A. had some interest at one point, but did Kovalchuk instead. So it wasn’t a big market.”
LeBrun adds that he got the sense that the Hurricanes and Skinner mutually agreed that it may be best for the sides to move on even though the Hurricanes needed scoring help.