The Sabres and Hurricanes , uprootingJeff Skinner from his longtime home in Carolina and shipping him toBuffalo in a trade Thursday that both franchises hope will eventually lead to the end of the NHL's two longest playoff droughts.Skinner, heavily involved in trade Tyler Conklin Jersey rumors this summer, seemed designated fordeparture sooner or later with the Hurricanes looking to turn the page on a failed era.The matter of when depended on the quality of offers presented to new Carolina GM Don Waddell, with a number of contenders in the market for a scoring winger of Skinner's ilk.The Sabres, fresh off their third last-place finish in five years, figured to be low on that list, but surprisingly identified Skinner as a fit in their own culture makeover and made an offer that appearsmuch more favorable for Buffalo than Carolina.This is the second time this offseason eitherteam has been involved in blockbuster trades. Which one came out on top?Let's hand out the grades.MORE: |Sabres receive from Carolina:F Jeff SkinnerHurricanes receive from Buffalo:F Cliff Pu, 2019 second-round draft pick, 2020 third-round draft pick, 2020 sixth-round draft pickSabres: B+The Sabres are going to be alottery team again in 2018-19. Acquiring Skinner, a perennial20-goal scorer, won't significantly change their playoff outlook. But it shouldhelp bring Buffalo out of the NHL's basement and improve upon a league-worst offense that managed only 198 goals a year ago. That putrid number included a full season ofRyan O'Reillyand three-quarters ofEvanderKane, mind you both of whom have sincebeen traded (along with their 44 combined goals). But Skinner at least fills the organization's glaring need for a top-six scoring winger to play alongside dynamic young centers Jack Eichelor Casey Mittelstadt.Skinner, 26, was a revelation when he broke into the NHL as an 18-year-old in 2010, winning the Calder Trophy with the first of three career 30-goal seasons.From early concu sion trouble and general organization dysfunction, he never managed to build on that momentumwith the Hurricanes in eight sporadic, playoff-le s seasons. Theoffensive numbers remained consistent, though, and Skinner has averaged 25 goals each of the last three (healthy) seasons, including a career-high 37 in 2016-17. His prowe s at five Ashtyn Davis Jersey -on-five, especially, indicates he was probably misused and underappreciatedin Carolina.Jeff Skinner acro s the past 4 yrs at 5v5 (score and venue adjusted):+1.02% RelT xGF%+0.23 RelT xGF60 (helps xGF)+0.14 RelT xGA60 (hurts xGA)Similar xG RelT impact profile to Jamie Benn, Zach Parise, Evgeni Malkin, Nick Bjugstad Stephen Burtch (@SteveBurtch) There are 11 NHL forwards who have produced four 20 even strength goal seasons in the past 5 years:Jamie Benn, Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, Nikita Kucherov, Brad Marchand, Alex Ovechkin, Max Pacioretty, Tyler Seguin, Vladimir Tarasenko, John Tavares...And Jeff Skinner. Stephen Burtch (@SteveBurtch) The cost to acquire such a talent should have been far greater than the price the Sabrespaid. Skinner has one year and $5.735 million remaining on a contract that proved restrictive, apparently limiting the Canes' trade options. Points to GM Jason Botterillfor using that as leverage against counterpart Don Waddell, who revealed "Buffalo was a team that was always high on his list," referring to Skinner's no-trade clause, which he agreed to waive.Buffalo's 2019 second-round pick, the piece of the return most likely Alijah Vera-Tucker Jersey to hit paydirt for Carolina, was a luxury for a team that already owns three first-rounders in next June's draft, provided the Blues makethe playoffs. The second-rounder will be closer to the top than the bottom, but the factBotterill didn't have to part with one of his firsts or a top prospect was a big win (more below on Pu, ).There are several complications the Sabres may encounter. First and foremost, Skinner needs a new contract. He told reportersFriday he hadn't yet thought about signingan extension. Buffalo has a year to sell him on sticking around, something that's already working in Botterill's favor if Skinner was willing to waive his NTCto join the rebuild.MORE:That also raisesthe question of organizational fit. In the last six months, the SabresdeemedO'Reilly and Kane, both 27, no longer a match with the young core and the organization's long-term plans. Like Skinner, Kane was a pending UFA who had chemistry with Eicheland expre sed a desire to re-sign in Buffalo before being dealt at the deadline. O'Reillywas jettisoned in Julyamid questions abouthis attitude and how it affectedthe impre sionable locker room, but those concerns were overblown. Simply, theSabreswere better with him than without. It's worth wondering why Botterilldidn't keep O'Reillyif adding Skinner had been under consideration.But if Garrett Wilson T Shirts nothing else, the Sabres' opening night roster will look vastly different from their 31st-place finish.Skinner and No. 1 overall pick Rasmus Dahlin are the main reasons for optimism that the team will turn a corner offensively and be more competitive in 2018-19. Buffalo also brought in Conor Sheary, who joins Skinner in the top six, and the trio of depth forwards Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka and Tage Thompson acquired for O'Reilly. Mittelstadt scored five points in his first six NHL games last year and should factor into the top six and power play in his first full NHL season. Sprinkle in free-agent goalie Carter Hutton, too.Buffalo's gradeinthis deal ultimately hinges onSkinner re-signing. If he doesn't, it was a waste of a sets, and he'll need to be flipped at the deadline to recoup them. If he does, the Sabresaddre sed a Garrett Wilson Jersey critical need and acquired one of the NHL's better prime-aged scoring threatsat a heavy discount.Can't go wrong there, no matter the context.MORE: Hurricanes: DNew owner Tom Dundon promised an offseason of change and has delivered on that promise, for better or worse. The Hurricanes from the Flames and pumped up some good will amongfans by hiring franchise icon Rod Brind'Amourto replace Bill Peters as head coach. But they come inon the opposite end of the PR spectrum after the Skinner trade, which hasn't been well-received by those with hopes the franchise might end its nine-year playoff drought.For his faults, Skinner was still one of the top wingers on this summer's trade market, along with Max Paciorettyand Artemi Panarin. It will requirefirst-round picks and/or top prospects to pry either of the latter two from their teams, and Carolina's inability to get neither for Skinner is baffling.Cliff Pu, Buffalo's third-round pick in 2016, has flashed NHL potential during his junior career, but the 20-year-old requires refinement entering his first profe sional season. It will take a couple years before hecarves out a regular spot with the Hurricanes, if