from Jared Clinton of The Hockey News,

It took weeks, maybe months, longer than most in Buffalo wanted, but with the clock ticking before the beginning of signing season, the Sabres and Jeff Skinner have come to terms on an extension that will keep winger in upstate New York for the foreseeable future.

Amid speculation the two sides were inching closer towards a pact, the Sabres announced Friday evening that Skinner has inked an eight-year, $72-million deal, a pact which signifies a massive raise for the 27-year-old and makes him Buffalo’s second-highest paid player behind captain Jack Eichel. The big-money deal for Skinner comes on the heels of his career year, as the sharpshooting winger scored 40 goals for the first time and matched his 63-point career high, a total he has now hit thrice in his nine seasons in the NHL.

Without question, the $9-million cap hit is higher than most projected for Skinner. When trying to estimate the value of a potential contract extension for Skinner earlier this season, it seemed reasonable that he would pull down somewhere in the $7.5-million range on a new pact and possibly even eclipse an $8-million AAV given he designated for unrestricted free agency and would have been a hot commodity on the open market. Skinner putting pen to paper on a contract worth $9-million per season is something few forecasted, however.

continued