Buffalo Sabres, who have been wheeling and dealing the entire offseason, have made another important addition to their roster by acquiring forward Jeff Skinner in a trade with Carolina Hurricanes. To get Skinner, who is former Calder Trophy winner as best NHL rookie during the 2010–11 season, Sabres sent prospect forward Cliff Pu, and three draft picks to Hurricanes.
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“What’s exciting about this trade here for our group is it’s not just all about futures,” – said Sabres’ general manager Jason Botterill after the deal was made. “Here’s a player that comes in right away and helps our team right away. And I think that’s going to get our National Hockey League players excited.”
This trade could be considered a win-win situation for both teams. After finishing last three times in the previous five season, Sabres are looking to get back to winning ways and 50 to 60 points a season player like Jeff Skinner will undoubtedly help with that. On the other hand, Hurricanes are rebuilding and are looking to make their roster younger. Skinner didn’t fit into those plans, especially since he can become a free agent after the 2018-19 season.
“I think we felt culturally that we needed to make some changes,” – said Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell. “This was the right time for us to move on and provide Jeff with a fresh start in Buffalo.”
Although Hurricanes were shopping Jeff Skinner the entire offseason, with a full no-trade clause in his contract, the 26-year-old had the final say when it comes to his next destination. Skinner approved Buffalo because he liked the way in which this team is headed.
“I think my focus is winning and having a good season, and right now coming into camp and being as prepared as possible to sort of start on the right foot,” – said Skinner. “That’s the top thing. I think you look at the young core, the management, the ownership, and all these things that I touched on, those things are sort of at the top of your list.”
After making his debut during the 2010-11 season, Jeff Skinner went on to play 579 games in NHL and scored 204 goals alongside providing 175 assists.
