Jeff Skinner is wasting no time making an impression in Switzerland.
The former Buffalo Sabres winger has already piled up nine points - six goals and three assists - in seven games for EHC Biel-Bienne, a fast start that comes after a brief injury absence. For a player whose game has always been built on finding ways to score and having a little fun while doing it, it looks like more of the same overseas.
Skinner’s grin has been back on display early with Biel, and so has the finishing touch that made him a fan favorite in Buffalo. He even turned in a two-goal performance and later added an assist on the winning goal in one game, another reminder that the scoreboard still tends to follow him around.
That surge is especially encouraging after his NHL production tailed off in stops with the Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks following his departure from the Sabres. Now 34, Skinner headed to Europe this summer after failing to land an NHL contract ahead of the 2026-27 season, signing with Biel in the Swiss National League.
His Buffalo run remains the stretch most people remember. Acquired in the August 2018 trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, he gave the Sabres the offensive punch they were looking for around Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Dahlin. He delivered immediately, burying 40 goals in 2018-19.
Skinner spent six seasons in Western New York and finished with 291 points - 153 goals and 138 assists - in 427 games with the club. His time with the Sabres ended on a sour note, but he’s still remembered fondly as one of the more likable faces from the drought era. His contract buyout is still counting $6.4 million against the salary cap this season.
Even now, he’s not ruling out another shot at the NHL if the right call comes. Skinner said last month that the chance to keep playing and to enjoy the game again mattered most.
"Maybe something will come, maybe something won't," he told reporters. "For me, I think the opportunity to play, the opportunity to feel wanted as much as I was here, the opportunity to have fun playing is really what I was after. I'm excited to get the opportunity to do that here."
Skinner is on a 40-goal pace in the early going in Switzerland, which at the very least sends a clear message: the scoring touch is still there. The gap between the NHL and the National League is obvious, but the 5-foot-11 winger is giving himself a platform to show he can still provide offense.
A return to Buffalo looks unlikely, given the Sabres’ crowded group of forwards, but that doesn’t mean the door is shut elsewhere. Teams are always hunting for scoring depth, and a monster season in Biel could put Skinner back on the radar for another NHL opportunity - perhaps even a PTO at training camp.
For now, he’s doing what he’s always done best: scoring goals and looking like he’s enjoying every second of it.
In Other News...
Sabres Crease Suddenly Sits At Center Of A Bigger Trade Watch
Igor Shesterkins season-ending injury has sent the Rangers into the goalie market, and Buffalo has suddenly found its crease drawn into the conversation. New York general manager Chris Drury is taking a hard look at available options, while Rangers goalie scout Scott Clemmensen has been out identifying potential trade targets, with Sabres netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen among the names drawing attention.
The bigger intrigue is where that search could lead if New York decides to get aggressive. There is speculation about a larger trade structure that would involve the Sabres and Jets, with Luukkonen potentially part of the return headed to Manhattan and Connor Hellebuyck emerging as a possible fit for Buffalo, though nothing has been completed or announced. For the Sabres, it is the sort of rumor that puts their own goalie situation squarely in the middle of a much wider market. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Goaltending Trouble Puts A Familiar Trade Rumor Back In Play
Connor Hellebuycks situation in Winnipeg has lingered long enough to feel less like a hot rumor and more like an ongoing test of patience for everyone involved. The former Jets starter remains suspended after requesting a trade and not reporting to training camp, and while there has been plenty of outside speculation about where he might land, nothing has been completed.
For Buffalo, the timing keeps this possibility in view because the Sabres goaltending picture is unsettled, which naturally pulls attention back toward any established name who could alter it. Winnipeg, meanwhile, has opened the season well without Hellebuyck, adding another layer to a stalemate that has no easy answer and still leaves the door open to more chatter as the situation develops. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Still Waiting As Buffalo's Injury Picture Gets More Complicated
The Sabres injury picture got a little clearer, but not necessarily better, as Lindy Ruff laid out where several key players stand. Alex Lyon was unavailable for his season debut, so Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen got the start in goal, while captain Rasmus Dahlin remains day to day with an upper-body injury and winger Jason Zucker is continuing his return from surgery. Conor Timmins and Matt Grzelcyk are also working their way back, leaving Buffalo to manage yet another stretch with pieces missing from the lineup.
For a team trying to settle in early, the uncertainty around Dahlin looms largest because Buffalo has leaned so heavily on its top defenseman when healthy. The encouraging part is that Ruffs update suggested some progress across the board, but the Sabres are still waiting for those returns to translate into actual lineup stability, especially with the blue line and crease both in flux. [Read more 🡒]