NHL: Breaking Down the Sabres-Canes Jeff Skinner Trade

All-Star NHL forward Jeff Skinner is now a member of the Buffalo Sabres. Here is an analysis of the trade what may be yet to come.

Last Thursday, the Carolina Hurricanes traded one of their best players, 26-year-old Jeff Skinner, in a surprising deal with the Buffalo Sabres.

What did the Canes get in return? Well, let’s just say that they got a package in return that is less than substantial…

They received a 2nd round pick in next years’ draft, a 3rd round pick and 6th round pick in the 2020 NHL draft, and OHL forward Cliff Pu.

If you’re scratching your head wondering what more there is to the trade, or perhaps asking yourself what Carolina was thinking, you’re not alone. Skinner was one of the Canes’ best goal scorers since they drafted him 7th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft, and they gave him up for a few late draft picks and a decent young prospect. You’d think that if Carolina was willing to give him up for so little that Dallas could’ve maybe pitched an offer or two to the Hurricanes.

But, they didn’t (as far as we know), and Buffalo ended up getting a solid 20+ goal scorer. Here is a brief analysis of Skinner’s stats since he joined the league.

2010-11 (Rookie Season)

Games Played: 82

Points: 63 (31 G, 32 A)

PIM: 46

Shots: 215

Awards/Honors: Won the Calder Memorial Trophy (given to the league’s best rookie), named to play in the 2011 All-Star Game. Skinner was the youngest All-Star selection in all of the four major North American sports (football, basketball, baseball, and hockey) at 18 years and 259 days old.

2011-12

Games Played: 64
Points: 44 (20 G, 24 A)
PIM: 56
Shots: 210

2012-13

Games Played: 42
Points: 24 (13 G, 11 A)
PIM: 26
Shots: 159

2013-14

Games Played: 71
Points: 54 (33 G, 21 A)
PIM: 22
Shots: 274

2014-15

Games Played: 77
Points: 31 (18 G, 13 A)
PIM: 18
Shots: 235

2015-16

Games Played: 82
Points: 51 (28 G, 23 A)
PIM: 38
Shots: 258

2016-17

Games Played: 79
Points: 63 (37 G, 26 A)
PIM: 28
Shots: 281

2017-18

Games Played: 82
Points: 49 (24 G, 25 A)
PIM: 34
Shots: 277

Career

Games Played: 579
Points: 379 (204 G, 175 A)
PIM: 268
Shots: 1,909

All of Jeff Skinner’s 379 points in the NHL were with the Canes, and he has scored at least 20 goals in 6 of his NHL seasons. Now, he will be joining a young roster in Buffalo with Jack Eichel, Rasmus Ristolainen, Rasmus Dahlin, Casey Mittelstadt, and others.

So, it looks like the Sabres might be alright next season, even after finishing last in the league last year with 62 points.

But what about Carolina? We can talk about Buffalo and whether or not they will play well next season all day and night, but how does the trade impact the Hurricanes?

As for the only player they got, Cliff Pu, things could go either way. Last season in the OHL, Pu split his time with the London Knights (36 games) and the Kingston Frontenacs (29 games), scoring a total of 84 points (29 G, 55 A) in a total of 65 games. The year before, Pu scored 86 points (35 G, 51 A) in 63 games.

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The Sabres had drafted Pu in the 3rd round (69th overall) in the 2016 NHL draft. It is expected that Pu, who’s 20-years-old, will make “the jump” this year and play with the Charlotte Checkers, the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes.

It may be the case that the three draft picks that Carolina acquired could turn into superstars. Dallas Stars fans often reference the fact that both Jamie Benn and John Klingberg were drafted in the 5th round in the 2007 and 2010 NHL drafts, respectively. So, maybe there is hope for Cliff Pu and the future Canes’ picks.

Additionally, Jeff Skinner, who has a cap hit of $5.725 million this season, become an unrestricted free agent after this year. Maybe things don’t click in Buffalo, and he wants to sign with a different team after the end of this season. If Skinner ends up leaving Buffalo after the 2018-19 season, then Carolina wins the trade. As of now, though, it looks like they’ve lost it.

There are also rumors circling that another All-Star player on the Hurricanes, blueliner Justin Faulk, is on the trading block. If Carolina ends up shipping him out as well, the Canes would really be taking the phrase “rebuild” to a whole different level.

Regardless of whether they trade Faulk or not, its clear that the Buffalo Sabres won the lottery in this trade, and are walking away with a great offensive firepower in Jeff Skinner.

• Published on 08/06/2018 at 17:01 PM
• Last updated at 08/06/2018 at 09:42 AM