The Buffalo Sabres Have “Dragged the Panthers Back to Alberta” | Inside The Rink…
In case the emoji is not very clear, that is a rollercoaster, and the perfect word to describe Jeff Skinner’s time in Buffalo so far. The winger joined the Sabres looking like he was on the cusp of breaking through as a top line forward, but every time he has had a season where you start to feel that next season it’ll happen, he’s instead gone the other way and struggled mightily instead. Explain that if you can.
So with that in mind, when Skinner potted 35 goals but significantly, his 47 assists was the first time his assist numbers were well over his goals total and it was looking like he was ready to make the jump to a 1+ point-per-game player.
Alas, like many of his highly-touted teammates on the Sabres, Skinner struggled mightily in finishing the year on just 46 points (24G, 22A). While in the past his goals have often glossed over half-hearted defensive performances, there was no disguising that this season. Reluctantly, coach Don Granato was forced to reduce his time on ice with the forward ending the season on just 15:59 a night, his lowest since 2020-21 when he also struggled offensively en route to a 14 point season.
