Quoting: BUF10
Buyout is too much. No team would want him in a trade plus a NMC. They are stuck with him for at least another year.
A buyout is not as bad as people make it out to be. You do get dinged in that third year, but the cap is going up and a lot of your core group is locked up long term. Over the next three years, your big contract questions will be Quinn, Peterka, Tuch, and Byram, and the goalies as well. They’ll have the room to do what they need if they choose to buy Skinner out.
It’s like I said, if he’s not in the top six. I don’t see a role for him, especially if your plan is the revamp the bottom six and give it an “identity”. Skinner doesn’t fit that mold what so ever, I think this team is going to play for a top six and third line forward on the trade market in free agency.
I personally think if they don’t just buy him out, he will find his way up to the press box or the fourth line very quickly, but as I said, it’s not nearly as bad as people make it out to be.
If he’s not scoring 30-40 goals a year in the top six, then he’s not helping you, and I question if at 32 years old how much longer he’s going to provide just offense in the declining stage of his career