Reports indicate that Jeff Skinner will be bought out, making him an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

The 2024 offseason will be a challenging one for the Vancouver Canucks. Not only do they have a handful of free agents that need to be re-signed, GM Patrik Allvin also has to make the roster stronger despite salary cap restraints. One option to help boost production in the top six could be Jeff Skinner, who is expected to be bought out by the Buffalo Sabres. 

According to multiple reports, including one from Chad DeDominicis of Expected Buffalo, the Sabres are expected to buy out Skinner. The former Calder Trophy had three more seasons on his current contract, which carried an annual cap hit of $9 million. The now 32-year-old winger is coming off a 24-goal season where he averaged 16 minutes a game and recorded over 200 shots for the third consecutive season. 

Before diving into Skinner's season, it is important to note that there is a connection between the player and the organization. When Skinner was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes seventh overall in 2010, the GM that drafted was Jim Rutherford. Based on this management's track record, Rutherford and Allvin often elect to bring players with whom they have history, which could lead to Skinner ending up on Vancouver's radar. 

As for Skinner, he is precisely the type of player the Canucks need to help boost their top six. He scored 15 goals at five on five last season, which would rank fifth on Vancouver's roster, while his eight power play goals would rank fourth. Skinner also finished the season with 211 shots, which was more than any player on the Canucks recorded during the 2023-24 season. These numbers get even more impressive when considering that Skinner only played 74 games and was dealing with an upper-body injury midway through the season. 

One of the most significant issues for Vancouver during the playoffs was shot generation. This is where Skinner can come in handy as he constantly can get shots on the net. He failed to record a shot in only eight games while, in contrast, he had six games of six or more shots. Despite seeing a dip in production during the 2023-24 campaign, he is still a dangerous shooter whose 48 rebounds created were tied for 19th in the NHL among forwards. 

Bringing Skinner in on a one-year deal could be beneficial to both the player and the organization. From Skinner's perspective, he would finally get a chance to play in the playoffs while also rebuilding his value around the league. As for the Canucks, they would get a dependable top-six forward who can score and has a track record of producing on the power play. If he is available on July 1, it would be in Vancouver's best interest to try and sign him. 

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