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The Sabers chief executive, Jason Botterill, finally has an answer to the question that has been asked since Jeff Skinner arrived in Buffalo last summer.
Skinner, the 27-year-old winger who captivated the fan base with 40 career goals last season, remains in Buffalo after signing a 72-year, $ 72-million deal that could keep him under a Sabers uniform until in 2026. -27 season, announced the team Friday night.
The average annual value of $ 9 million makes Skinner the second highest paid Saber player behind Jack Eichel and the 16th highest paid player in the NHL. Their salaries will account for 22.5% of the $ 83 million space this season, which is the sixth cumulative total of the two teammates in the league.
Skinner scored 10 goals in the Sabers' 10-game winning streak in November, earning a "Jeff Skinner for Mayor" sign in front of a main street store. He tied his record of 63 points in his 82 games in his first season with the organization.
The timing of an agreement is as important as its purpose for Botterill. Preventing Skinner from reaching an unrestricted free contract on July 1 allowed Botterill to grant the All-Star an eighth year of contract and give the Sabers enough time to decide how they would use their last ceiling.
Most importantly, Botterill retained the services of a player that the Sabers would find difficult to replace by trade or free will.
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.
Still, Skinner has turned out to be one of the league's top scorers since he was ranked seventh overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2010. Since the start of the 2010- 11, Skinner ranks fifth in goals with equal strength behind Alex Ovechkin. , John Tavares, Patrick Kane and Steven Stamkos.
With respect to Jeff Skinner, Jason Botterill had no choice but to reach an agreement
Skinner, from Markham, Ont., Has scored at least 20 goals in eight of his nine NHL seasons and is ranked 10th in this category since the start of the 2015-16 season, scoring more in the regular season than Connor, from Edmonton. McDavid, Evgeni Malkin and Stamkos from Pittsburgh, among others.
Skinner scored 204 goals during his tenure with the Hurricanes, ranking fifth in franchise history, including those who played for the Hartford Whalers before the team was transferred to Raleigh , NC Still, he has never reached the level of success that he has experienced in Buffalo.
Needing help to score after Ryan O'Reilly's transfer to St. Louis, Botterill acquired Skinner last August in exchange for candidate Cliff Pu and three selections, the highest of which will be in the second round at next month's selection in Vancouver. .
The acquisition proved to be Botterill's best since hiring in May 2017. Skinner scored 10 goals in the Sabers 10-game winning streak and was tied for third in the league on Feb. 23, as the team hosted the Capitals in KeyBank Center.
Jeff Skinner uses family lessons and figure skating to succeed with Sabers
Skinner suffered what appeared to be a knee injury this afternoon. However, he came back for the third period in the 5-2 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champions. He would only score four goals, including two in the final of the season, with four assists in the team's last 21 games.
Nevertheless, Skinner was selected in the All-Star category for the second time in his career and allowed the Sabers to compete. Although he finished the season in second row, Skinner also formed a dynamic couple with Eichel, the center and the captain of first year of Buffalo, 22 years old.
The Sabers scored 53 goals at 5-on-5 and a 51.8-percent range of 5-on-5 shooting attempts with Eichel and Skinner together on the ice. In comparison, the Sabers had a negative differential of 11 goals at 5-on-5 when Eichel was on the ice without Skinner.
The new contract guarantees that Eichel and Skinner will be under contract by at least 2025-26, but Botterill's work is just beginning. He has a salary range estimated at $ 20 million with five free agents waiting – including center Evan Rodrigues, who is expected to receive a significant increase – and unrestricted winger, 36, Jason Pominville.
It is necessary to complete the front of the team, especially in the center, and on the blue line, where Zach Bogosian (hip) and Lawrence Pilut (shoulder) should run out of time at the start of the season due to # 39, surgery in low season.
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