Jeff Skinner keeping his confidence high heading into new season

The 2020-21 season was a tough one for the Buffalo Sabres, even more so for Jeff Skinner. 29-year-old found himself at the center of criticism from Sabres fans throughout the year because he simply wasn't performing up to expectations, especially since he is making $9 million a year.

Skinner finished the season with 14 points (7 G, 7 A), 14 penalty minutes, and was a -11. Despite a poor showing last season, the Toronto, Ontario native is determined to prove people wrong and bounce back.

"I still feel I'm an impact player," Skinner said. "That's kind of how I feel. How that's impacting the game is obviously going to change on a night-to-night basis, but that's what I expect of myself. I think that's what's expected of me here and that's what I'm going to try to do."

He went on to add, "Every player wants to help the team as much as you can and I'm not different in that way. I think I can impact the game that way, and hopefully I can continue to do that this year."

Skinner is expected to make his first appearance of the pre-season on Thursday night when the Sabres take on the Detroit Red Wings.

Source: Lance Lysowski - The Buffalo News

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