Former Sabre Skinner Signs In Switzerland

Former Buffalo Sabres winger Jeff Skinner‘s career in the National Hockey League has come to an end.

The 34-year-old has signed a one-year contract with Club EHC Biel-Bienne of the Swiss National League. Skinner played last season in the NHL with San Jose. He was placed on waivers by the Sharks on February 16th for the purpose of terminating his contract.

The Markham, Ontario native was a scorer in his time in Western New York, posting the best offensive numbers of his NHL tenure.

After playing the first eight NHL seasons with the Hurricanes, Skinner was acquired by Buffalo on August 2nd, 2018, in exchange for forward Cliff Pu, a 2019 second-round pick, and third- and sixth-round selections in the 2020 entry draft. The winger made an immediate impact with the Sabres, scoring a career-high 40 goals in 2018-19.

The success in his first campaign in Buffalo led to an eight-year, $72 million contract extension signed with Skinner in June of 2019. The following season, Skinner was relegated to a fourth-line role under new Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger in a move that left his talents wasted. In 2021-22, Skinner regained his form under newly promoted head coach Don Granato, delivering thirty-three goals.

In yet another coaching shuffle, Lindy Ruff returned behind the Sabres bench in 2024. With Ruff’s commitment to consistent two-way forward play, there was not a fit for Skinner and his one-dimensional offensive skill set in the Buffalo lineup. In June, 2024, Buffalo bought out the final three years of Skinner’s contract.

The veteran winger was very popular with Sabres fans as he filled the net, initially teamed with center Jack Eichel and later on a line with Tage Thompson.

With his scoring production on the decline and failed stops in Edmonton and San Jose over the past two seasons, Skinner’s time in the National Hockey League ends with 379 goals and 333 Assists in 1,110 NHL games.