Sabres buy out final three years of Jeff Skinner's contract

Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) – Jeff Skinner's time with the Buffalo Sabres has come to an end.

The team formally announced on Sunday it has bought out the final three years of Skinner's eight-year, $72 million contract that was signed back in 2019.

The buyout now makes Skinner free to sign with any team as an unrestricted free agent starting Monday at 12 p.m. ET.

It was first reported by Chad DeDominicis of Expected Buffalo last week Wednesday that the Sabres would be buying out the final three years of Skinner’s contract ahead of the buyout window closing at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday. Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams later confirmed the news at the conclusion of the 2024 NHL Draft on Saturday.

With Skinner's contract now bought out, the Sabres will have to write a check of $2,444,445 every year to the winger for the next six years. The savings on the salary cap in Year 1 for the Sabres, though, would total $7,333,333.

The breakdown of the annual salary cap hit for the Skinner buyout is as follows:

- Year 1: $1,444,445
- Year 2: $4,444,445
- Year 3: $6,444,445
- Year 4: $2,444,445
- Year 5: $2,444,445
- Year 6: $2,444,445

Skinner first joined the Sabres just before the 2018-19 season in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes. After his first season in Buffalo, where he scored 40 goals, Skinner signed his massive eight-year contract extension before hitting the market as an unrestricted free agent.

Over the course of 427 games played and six seasons in Buffalo, the 32-year-old went on to score 153 goals and add 138 assists for 291 points.

So far in 14 NHL seasons with the Sabres and Hurricanes, Skinner has scored 357 goals and registered 313 assists for 670 points in 1,006 games played. However, Skinner has the longest active streak of games played in the NHL without appearing in the playoffs.