Skinner eager to join forces with Eichel, Sabres

Jeff Skinner was presented by the Carolina Hurricanes with the opportunity of being traded to the Buffalo Sabres and becoming teammates with center Jack Eichel.

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It was an opportunity the 26-year-old decided he couldn't pass up.
"I'm excited to get to know him and get to meet him," Skinner said on Friday, one day after being acquired by the Sabres for forward prospect Cliff Pu, a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft and a third-round and a sixth-round pick in the 2020 draft. "He's obviously one of the top centermen in the game right now, so I think any time you have that on your team, I think it's exciting."
Skinner could play on the same line as Eichel, the No. 2 pick of the 2015 NHL Draft. The 21-year-old is a three-time 20-goal scorer and had an NHL career-high 64 points (25 goals, 39 assists) in 67 games for the Sabres last season.
That thought was intriguing enough to Skinner that he was willing to waive the no-trade clause in his contract.
"I know that over the course of the season, you probably get to play with a lot of different players," Skinner said. "Usually, that's just sort of what happens, and that's ultimately the coach's decision. But anytime you get to sort of play on a guy what that much talent's team, and he's part of that young core, that exciting core, I'm happy to be on his team instead of against him."
Skinner said he's also looking forward to playing with defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who was selected by Buffalo with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.

"I haven't seen him play, but I've heard a lot about him," Skinner said. "I've read a bunch of stories on everything that he's been [doing] this summer. It's probably been a busy summer for him. He's an exciting piece. I think [forward Casey] Mittlestadt … these are guys I haven't seen much of, but from what I've heard and the little highlights and little bits of pieces that I have seen, there's a bunch of good pieces. You can kind of go through the roster and from the guys they have on the back end with [defenseman Rasmus] Ristolainen, [defenseman Jake] McCabe … there's a bunch of guys. As you go through the list it's all positives, and that's a good thing.
"After that, you try and do homework based on guys that have played there, maybe guys that you know that are there, friends that have been there in the past, and I've heard a lot of positive things about the city and a lot of positive things about the ownership group, the management group and the fans. That's sort of a little snapshot of some of the stuff that went into it."
Skinner had 49 points (24 goals, 25 assists) in 82 games last season, his eighth with Carolina, which selected him with the No. 7 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft. He is fifth in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history in goals (204), seventh in points (379) and ninth in games played (579).
The Sabres (25-45-12, 62 points) finished last in the NHL last season and will rely on Skinner and Eichel to help get them back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011.
"The young group of players they have, the young core, is exciting," Skinner said. "There's a lot of good players and I'm excited to join those guys and be a piece of the puzzle.
"It's going to be a fresh start. I know a few guys on the team, but it's going to my first time going to a new organization and meeting sort of all the new staff and meeting a bunch of new teammates. It's certainly something I'm looking forward to and I'm excited to get started."