This is an important month for a number of high-profile players on expiring contracts.



It’s decision time. To some degree.



From Mark Stone and Matt Duchene to Artemi Panarin, Jeff Skinner and Wayne Simmonds, high-profile, pending UFAs have conversations looming ahead of the Feb. 25 trade deadline.



Sabres GM Jason Botterill and veteran agent Don Meehan of Newport Sports have traded messages this week trying to firm up when both sides can get going on Skinner, who is having a monster year after being acquired from Carolina.



Meehan is expected to be in attendance Saturday for the Tampa-Buffalo game but Botterill won’t be back yet from out-of-town scouting meetings. So it’s not clear yet when exactly preliminary contract discussions will begin other than both sides seem eager to get it going in the very near future.



What will that number look like if a deal gets done?



“He’s an interesting case because...