The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed leading scorer Jeff Skinner to an eight year, $72 million contract in addressing one their most pressing offseason needs.
Skinner becomes the team's second-highest paid player behind captain Jack Eichel in a deal reached Friday night, and three weeks before the forward was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. The ninth-year player, who has now topped 30 goals four times, had been considered a key piece for a rebuilding team since Buffalo acquired him in a trade with Carolina in August.
The just-turned 27-year-old led Buffalo with a career-best 40 goals and finished third on the team with 63 points in 82 games.
Negotiations began in January, with Skinner expressing a desire to stay in Buffalo. Aside from his production and bond he developed with Eichel, Skinner also enjoyed playing closer to his hometown of Toronto, about a two-hour drive from Buffalo.
Re-signing Skinner was general manager Jason Botterill's next priority after filling the team's coaching vacancy by hiring Ralph Krueger three weeks ago.
A failure to re-sign Skinner would have been considered a significant setback for a franchise in the midst of a team-worst eight-year playoff drought — the NHL's longest active streak — and at a time the Sabres are set to celebrate their 50th season.
Buffalo is coming off a season in which it finished 27th overall and joined the 2016-17 Philadelphia Flyers in becoming the second of 50 NHL teams to miss the playoffs in the same season they won at least 10 straight games.
The Sabres followed their 10-game winning streak in November by closing the season winning 16 of their final 57 games, which led to coach Phil Housley's firing two years into his tenure.
The only downside during Skinner's career is the NHL's 2011 rookie of the year and two-time all-star selection has yet to appear in the playoffs since the Hurricanes selected him with the seventh pick in the 2010 draft.
Skinner's new contract means the Sabres have committed a combined $152 million to two forward after Eichel's eight-year, $80 million contract kicked in last year. Even with Skinner's addition, Buffalo is currently projected to have $22 million still available to spend this offseason under a salary cap expected to rise to $83 million.
The Sabres are expected to continue being active in free agency and the trade market this offseason in a bid to address a lack of secondary scoring. Skinner, Eichel and forward Sam Reinhart accounted for 90 of Buffalo's 226 goals last season.
Though Skinner became Buffalo's first player to score 40 goals since Thomas Vanek in 2008-09, his production tailed off over the final six weeks of the season. He went 13 games without a goal and scored just four times in his final 25 games.
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LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool manager Arne Slot insisted there were no outstanding issues between him and Mohamed Salah after recalling the club great to the team for the 2-0 win over Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday.
Salah received a rapturous welcome from Liverpool fans after coming on as a first-half substitute and they chanted his name during and after the game at Anfield — including after he set up Hugo Ekitike for the second goal.
In an explosive outburst last weekend, Salah told reporters his relationship with Slot had broken down after being dropped for three straight games and that he felt like “someone doesn’t want me in the club.”
He was then left at home when Liverpool traveled to Inter Milan for a Champions League match on Tuesday, with Slot saying he did not know if Salah would play again for the club.
However, a few days later, Salah was back in the squad for the Brighton game after he held conversations with Slot on Friday.
“For me there is no issue to resolve. He is now the same as any other player,” Slot said after the game. “I usually never say anything about what we talk about, I am not going to make an exception now. But I think actions speak louder than what has been said and he was in the squad again.
“When I had to make my first substitution, I brought him in and he performed as every fan including me would like him to today. The moment he is there I like to use him when we need him. When he came in, he had the performance like you would want him to to give.”
After the final whistle, Salah applauded all four sides of Anfield — like some of his other teammates. Salah lingered in front of The Kop stand as fans chanted his name and patted the club crest on his jersey before leaving the pitch and heading to the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt.
Slot did not think that was a farewell gesture by Salah.
“He wasn’t the only player who walked around the pitch, thanking the fans because the fans deserved a thank you from us," Slot said. “Mo is going to go to AFCON. I hope he is going to do very well. And in the meantime, we have to play here without him, without many players."
Salah was an unused substitute for the 3-3 draw with Leeds last Saturday, after which he opened up on his frustrations. Before that, he'd been an unused sub in a win at West Ham and came on at halftime of a home draw against Sunderland.
Salah is Liverpool's biggest star and also the club’s record scorer in the Premier League. He has four league goals in 14 appearances this season.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds supporters after the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds supporters after the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, centre, challenges for the ball with Brighton's Carlos Baleba, left, during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, centre, during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, centre, warms up prior to the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah warms up prior to the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah sits on the bench before the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah sits on the bench before the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Liverpool's manager Arne Slot applauds at the end of a Champions League, league phase, soccer match between Inter Milan and Liverpool in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Dec.9, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah smiles as he takes part in a training session in Liverpool, England, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
