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The Buffalo Sabres have had one of the NHL’s worst track records for signing good-value contracts. Throughout the club’s history, there has been a substantial list of deals that have held the Buffalo Sabres back from contention.
In particular, the following five deals headline the list of dubious deals the Buffalo Sabres have signed over the years.
5 worst contracts signed in Buffalo Sabres franchise history
#5: Cody Hodgson
Hodgson was the Vancouver Canucks' first-round pick in 2008, going tenth overall. In his first full season, Hodgson score 16 goals in 63 games for the Canucks. However, Hodgson wasn’t entirely happy with the Canucks, mainly due to limited ice time.
So, the Canucks moved Hodgson to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a pair of minor-league players. Hodgson played fairly well in a short sample with the Sabres. He scored three goals in 20 games, prompting Buffalo to sign Hodgson to a six-year, $25.5 million extension in 2012.
He played strongly in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season and followed that up with a 20-goal season the following campaign. Then, Hodgson’s production fell off a cliff. He managed just six goals in 78 games in 2014-15. The Sabres traded Hodgson to the Preadors that offseason.
Hodgson played 39 games in Nashville scoring three goals. That was it for his NHL career.
#4: Matt Moulson
Moulson was a proven goal scorer at the time the Buffalo Sabres signed him. He had registered three 30-goal seasons in a row with the New York Islanders.
With Moulson on an expiring contract, the Islanders sent Moulson to Buffalo for Thomas Vanek. The Sabres then flipped Moulson to the Minnesota Wild at the trade deadline.
Then, when Moulson hit free agency, the Sabres came calling with a big contract. They inked Moulson to a five-year, $25 million deal. However, Moulson’s production immediately plummeted. He managed just 13 goals in his first year in Buffalo. He followed that up with eight and fourteen-goal campaigns before being placed on waivers in 2017.
Moulson cleared and spent the remainder of his career in the AHL.
#3: Christian Ehrhoff
The Buffalo Sabres wanted to make a splash in the 2011 offseason. Eyeing a deep postseason run, the Sabres signed former Canuck Christian Ehrhoff to a 10-year, $40 million deal hoping he would be Buffalo’s top defenseman for the rest of his career.
However, injuries and inconsistency marred Ehrhoff’s time in Buffalo. His offensive numbers dropped from 50 points in 2010-11 with Vancouver to 32 in Buffalo. His numbers kept sliding until a seeming bounce-back offensive year in 2013-14 where he notched 33 points.
Unfortunately, Ehrhoff was a minus-27. So, the Sabres bought out Ehrhoff’s contract before the 2014-15 season. He signed on with several clubs but never regained the form from earlier in his career.
#2: Ville Leino
Leino was another part of the 2011 free-agent splash the Sabres attempted to make. The Finnish winger was coming off a breakthrough season in 2010-11 in which he scored 19 goals and 53 points in 81 games with the Philadelphia Flyers.
One decent season was enough for the Sabres to bet high on Leino, signing him to a six-year, $27 million deal. Sadly, the deal soured immediately. Leino proved to be a one-hit wonder as he scored just eight goals in 71 games in his first season in Buffalo.
Injuries limited him to eight games the following season. Then, Leino went goalless in 58 games during the 2013-14 campaign. The Sabres bought out Leino before the 2014-15 season along with Ehrhoff.
#1: Jeff Skinner
The Carolina Hurricanes drafted Skinner seventh overall in 2010. He was good right away, scoring 33 goals in his rookie season. The performance was worthy of the Calder Trophy in 2011.
Skinner strung along fairly good seasons during his time in Carolina. However, he only managed to top 30 goals twice more.
With the Sabres looking to get back into contention, the club signed Skinner to an eight-year, $72 million deal in 2018. The contract was somewhat of a head-scratcher as it was extremely high for a relatively inconsistent player.
Nevertheless, Skinner scored a career-high 40 goals in his first year in Buffalo. Things were looking good except when injuries and inconsistency took over. The following season, Skinner played just 59 games, tallying 14 goals. His totals dropped even further the following season.
Then, Skinner had back-to-back 30-goal seasons. His numbers dropped again in 2023-24 from 82 points the previous season to 46. With the Sabres rebuilding and looking to shed payroll, the club bought out Skinner during the 2024 offseason.
Skinner will be on the Buffalo Sabres’ books until 2028.
