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Buffalo Sabers general manager Jason Botterill acknowledged that he was taking a calculated risk by signing Jeff Skinner for a $ 72 million eight-year contract extension on Friday night.
Skinner, 27, is under club control during the 2026-2027 season, just weeks before his 35th birthday. With Jack Eichel, he will represent 22.5% of the salary cap of the Sabers in 2019-2020, which currently belongs to the league. sixth highest total for two teammates.
The consequences on salary ceilings could be a problem for Botterill when he tries to sign long-term contracts with Sam Reinhart, Brandon Montour, Rasmus Dahlin and Casey Mittelstadt. It will likely prevent the Sabers from being aggressive in the free agent market. in the meantime.
Botterill was more likely to bet on Skinner, one of the league's scorers, than to look for a replacement.
"One of the next issues will probably concern the award of an eight-year contract to a 27-year-old child, but there will always be a risk in doing so sometimes," Botterill said at a conference. A conference call on Saturday. "But we feel very comfortable in the way Jeff behaves off the ice, in the way he devotes himself to conditioning and training, and we think that attitude, as well as our science department of sport, will hopefully allow him to be in good health and help the Buffalo Sabers for the next eight years. "
As for Jeff Skinner, Jason Botterill had to make a deal.
Skinner, who should not meet with reporters before the start of next week, has a full non-movement clause, which means he should approve any Sabers transaction. He and Eichel are among the 16 highest paid players in the league. The contract is the second largest in the history of the team behind Eichel, whom Botterill signed for an extension of $ 80 million in November 2017, for an eight-year term.
Botterill took a different risk with his second major contract negotiation, but he was willing to bet on maintaining the offensive for a training that finished 23rd of goals scored last season.
Skinner scored 40 goals and recorded his best career record of 63 points in the last 82 games of last season. He missed only three of the 328 possible matches in the last four seasons and has never missed more than 18 in a season since a concussion that sidelined him in 2011-12.
Although his production was flourishing after his acquisition by Buffalo last August, Skinner is one of the best players in the league since he was drafted eighth overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2010.
Since the start of the 2010-11 season, Skinner is fifth in the regular season goals, unlike Alex Ovechkin, John Tavares, Patrick Kane and Steven Stamkos.
Skinner, from Markham, Ont., Has scored at least 20 goals in seven of his nine NHL seasons – one of the exceptions being the 2012-13 abbreviated lockout season – and ranks 10th. from this category since the beginning of 2015- 16, scoring more during the regular season during this period than Connor McDavid of Edmonton, Evgeni Malkin of Pittsburgh, Stamkos, among others.
Although Botterill acknowledged that the goals scored were likely to vary from year to year, Skinner's ability to consistently generate scoring opportunities, especially in a 5-on-5 game, as well as his potential to be improved as a complete player reassured the Sabers with such a contract. .
"I think it's still possible to go beyond that," Botterill said. "I hope we will have younger players who will continue to improve around him and that a stronger team around him will simply allow him to have a better total of goals. "
Although the salary cap probably increases from year to year until Skinner's contract expires, this deal presents a challenge to Botterill. Reinhart and Montour are restricted free agents next season, while Dahlin is restricted in 2021.
However, Botterill would prefer to give significant long-term contracts to retain these talents rather than trying to acquire them by other means. It therefore intends to use young players under contract level beginner to balance the salary cap.
"Look, I think this contract will show you that some very good players want to stay here in Buffalo and be part of it, we will find a way to try to do it," Botterill said. "And our goal is to continue to try to develop our players in our system, and we want to give them big contracts, we want them to grow and be players who deserve very big contracts. comfortable having some of our best players taking pieces of our salary cap up ".
For months, Botterill has expressed optimism that both parties should reach an agreement before the free agency begins, citing Skinner's comfort with the organization and chemistry of the two-star All Star with the young players of the formation, notably Eichel.
However, anxiety has grown among the fan base in recent weeks while it was uncertain that Skinner would want to explore unrestricted free will for the first time in his career. After all, the Sabers have had a worse drought in the NHL playoffs for eight years and several holes to fill this season.
Skinner has the longest running NHL playoff sequence (661) without a playoff game and, like his Sabers teammates, had a difficult time in 2018-19, scoring just one goal in 22 games during the season. second history of the team. half slide.
Botterill's optimism has never faltered publicly.
"I think it's a situation in which we are obviously delighted to see Jeff become part of our organization for the next eight years," he said. "I think both sides were very happy with their relationship over the last year … I think when the organization wants a player, and when a player shows up at the organization and says that he wants to be part of the solution, it is up to me to try to find a way to reach an agreement.
"I understand that it will not always happen, but I am very happy with myself and [Skinner’s agency, Newport Sports] could come to a resolution and get that agreement done. "
Botterill gave an additional perspective on the timing of the transaction, reminding reporters that Skinner wanted to wait for the hiring of a coach and was to talk to Ralph Krueger, a long phone conversation that took place recently.
The Sabers and Newport Sports then had to settle the details of the contract. According to CapFriendly.com, Skinner will receive a base salary of $ 10 million over the three years of the transaction, including 2019-20. Two years of contract include a base salary of $ 2.5 million and $ 7.5 million in the form of a signing bonus, the first of which will be distributed for 2020-2021.
Skinner will earn only $ 12 million in total over the last two years of the contract, although the cap has not been exceeded to $ 9 million per season. In the end, Botterill wanted to bet on a player who had scored 10 goals in the Sabers' 10-game winning streak in November.
"We want to add to our group and not have to go out and try to replace what Jeff Skinner can bring," said Botterill.
A "more realistic" option for Sabers to meet all needs
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