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Jeff Skinner has been just what Sabres needed

 

The Buffalo Sabres seem to be finally — finally! — taking some sort of a significant step toward regaining relevance in the NHL.

Thanks to their 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night, they were able to pick up their 10th win and improve to 10-6-2 on the young season.

 

This, of course, is major progress in Buffalo.

 

For one, this is tied for the Sabres’ best start (22 points) through their first 18 games since the 2009-10 season when they were 12-5-1 at this point.

 

(They also had 22 through 18 games during the 2011-12 season.)

 

Second, the Sabres did not win their 10th game of the season a year ago until Dec. 29. They didn’t get it until Dec. 6 in 2016-17. Even more, this is only the third time since 2009-10 that they have won their 10th game of the season before the calendar rolled over to December. All of that is insane, and just shows how much this organization has struggled over the past seven seasons.

There are a lot of reasons for their newfound early success.

 

At the top of that list is the fact that Jack Eichel is healthy and, once again, playing like a superstar.

 

The other is that some of their offseason acquisitions are really paying off in the early going. Conor Sheary, thought to be a salary dump by the Pittsburgh Penguins, has six goals and 10 points in 18 games and been a nice complement to their forwards. Carter Hutton has been solid in net.

 

They have another emerging star in top pick Rasmus Dahlin whose progress seems to be ahead of schedule for an 18-year-old defender.

 

But perhaps the biggest improvement from outside the organization has been the addition of Jeff Skinner.

 

The Sabres desperately needed a top-line winger that could complement Eichel, something he had not had over the first three years of his career. Skinner has given them exactly what they needed, and perhaps even more. It should not be a surprise.

 

Skinner, still only 26 years old even though it seems like he’s been around forever, has been one of the most productive goal-scorers in the league in recent years.

 

Entering this season he was 15th in the league in goals over the previous five years and still in the middle of what should be his peak years of production in the league is on pace for what could be a career year.

 

He opened the scoring for the Sabres on Tuesday night with what is already his 13th goal of the season. Only Boston’s David Pastrnak has scored more as of this posting.

 

He and Eichel have been especially dominant together. When the Sabres have had the two of them on the ice this season they are outscoring teams by a 14-7 margin at even-strength and completely dictating the pace of the play from a shot attempt and scoring chance perspective.

 

They are not only steamrolling opposing defenses, they have given each exactly what the other needed and had been lacking for most of their careers.

 

Skinner has been an exceptional goal-scorer throughout his career despite the fact he has never had a center like Eichel setting him up.

 

Eichel has been great since the Sabres drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick four years ago even though he has never really had a finisher like Skinner on his wing.

 

Put them together and it has been close to perfection for the Sabres.

 

The two big questions for the Sabres now:

 

Can the duo keep this rolling and do the Sabres have enough in the lineup beyond them to maintain this early pace, and will they be able to keep Skinner beyond this season.

 

Skinner remains unsigned after this season and is no doubt playing his way into a huge contract given the combination of his age (again, still only 26) and continued production.

 

For right now this should be something that Sabres fans are enjoying, because they have not seen much of it over the better part of the past decade.

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I totally agree that Skinner was a monster pickup and I knew it the day I heard the news.  I wonder if Eichel is our Perrrault and if Skinner is our Rick Martin?  Eichel has been unselfish and has set up Skinner so many times.  Of course I would like to see Jack get some of the goals rather than the assists, but for the sake of the team, as long as it goes in its good.  Now that Reinhart is on his game, and has joined them, this could be one of the top lines in the NHL?

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 11/15/2018 at 7:17 AM, Brewin Flames said:

I know Cliff Pu was a decent prospect going the other way, but buffalo won this trade 10x's over, esp if skinner decides to stay.

He has 18 goals and only 1 back of the NHL lead.  He is playing with Eichel who has a ton of points and has set Skinner up on most of his goals.  Why would he want to leave here now?  No way.  And Pegula will pay him

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On ‎11‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 7:17 AM, Brewin Flames said:

I know Cliff Pu was a decent prospect going the other way, but buffalo won this trade 10x's over, esp if skinner decides to stay.

That sir is the caveat, IF SKINNER DECIDES TO STAY. He is most certainly going to get paid, does Buffalo give him the 9.5 to 10 million that he has been rumored to have asked for to stay in Buffalo or do they move on at years end? They are a much improved team, fun to watch and he is a huge part of it but IMHO that is a ton of cap space for a winger......

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4 hours ago, yave1964 said:

Supposedly Skinner wants close to ten million per on an eight year deal, do you do that based off a two month sample size?

 

If it was just a two month sample, but it isn't as you're talking about a player who has three 30+ goal seasons and has scored 20+ in three others.

 

That said, I don't go $10M for 8 for him. That could change by year's end, but not now.

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5 hours ago, radoran said:

 

If it was just a two month sample, but it isn't as you're talking about a player who has three 30+ goal seasons and has scored 20+ in three others.

 

That said, I don't go $10M for 8 for him. That could change by year's end, but not now.

  Your point is my point, 30-35 goal scorer which is extremely valuable, my comment about a two month sample is 18 goals in 24 games on pace for 61 for the season. Last year in 82 games in Carolina he scored 24 for the entire season. His career high in points is 63, he has proven to be more or less JVR, a 30 goal scoring winger nothing more or less, the two month sample size of 18 goals in 24 games is an unrealistic and unsustainable pace for all but the elite of the elite. Do you pay him 9.5 million or so for eight years based off of two months of an impossible pace or do you risk him going to market and risk someone else doing so? I like Skinner, I always have and God knows buffalo needs something to go right but I think it is a big mistake to pay him based off of two great months instead of looking at what he realistically is, a 30 goal scoring winger with defensive deficiencies. He could play for me any day of the week but not at that kind of contract.

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Just now, yave1964 said:

  Your point is my point, 30-35 goal scorer which is extremely valuable, my comment about a two month sample is 18 goals in 24 games on pace for 6 for the season. Last year in 82 games in Carolina he scored 24 for the entire season. His career high in points is 63, he has proven to be more or less JVR, a 30 goal scoring winger nothing more or less, the two month sample size of 18 goals in 24 games is an unrealistic and unsustainable pace for all but the elite of the elite. Do you pay him 9.5 million or so for eight years based off of two months of an impossible pace or do you risk him going to market and risk someone else doing so? I like Skinner, I always have and God knows buffalo needs something to go right but I think it is a big mistake to pay him based off of two great months instead of looking at what he realistically is, a 30 goal scoring winger with defensive deficiencies. He could play for me any day of the week but not at that kind of contract.

 

No reason to extend him at this point. They have lots of time. If it's not skinner, though, they still need someone to produce on Eichel's wing and if it isn't him, who is it?

 

Still, not a $10M player. I could see him along the lines of the JVR $7M per range - which should be about right.

 

I can't see anyone giving him $10M for 8 years. Just can't. Of course, I've been wrong before...

 

Who's got the cap room and the need for him and can sign that deal?

 

How about those Carolina Hurricanes? 😎

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On 11/26/2018 at 1:48 PM, radoran said:

 

No reason to extend him at this point. They have lots of time. If it's not skinner, though, they still need someone to produce on Eichel's wing and if it isn't him, who is it?

 

Still, not a $10M player. I could see him along the lines of the JVR $7M per range - which should be about right.

 

I can't see anyone giving him $10M for 8 years. Just can't. Of course, I've been wrong before...

 

Who's got the cap room and the need for him and can sign that deal?

 

How about those Carolina Hurricanes? 😎

I do not think its going to take that for him to stay in Buffalo.  No way.  He wants to play with Eichel.  He is scoring a ton because Eichel is setting him up.  Reinhart is on the other wing.  He is doing ok.  He will get better. Pommenville is being used elsewhere.  Middlestadt's line is also producing. Skinner and Eichel go together well.  He is likely not going to get 70 like Alexander Mogilny but is on pace to hit the 60s.  I see him around 50 for sure

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