The Buffalo Sabres locked in another major piece of their future on Tuesday, signing Noah Ostlund to an eight-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $6.6 million.
Ostlund, 22, made a strong case for the deal in his rookie season in 2025-26, putting up 27 points with 11 goals and 16 assists in 60 games. He did it with a steady, dependable two-way game that quickly won over Lindy Ruff.
“He’s a coach’s dream, because those are the type of players you don’t really have to coach,” Ruff said in April. “He pretty well knows where he’s going almost every time. Very few times in the D zone does he get out of position.”
Even in a postseason cut short by injury, Ostlund found a way to contribute. He played only two playoff games, but in his debut against Boston he threaded a pass through traffic for an assist and later chased down an empty-net goal.
Buffalo’s confidence in Ostlund has been building for years. The Sabres drafted him 16th overall in 2022, then let him continue developing in Sweden’s pro leagues for two seasons before he joined Rochester in 2024-25.
The extension also fits into a bigger picture for Buffalo, which now has 10 players signed through at least 2029-30. That group includes forwards Josh Norris, Zach Benson, Tage Thompson, Josh Doan, Peyton Krebs and Beck Malenstyn, along with defensemen Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson.
Tuesday was the final day NHL teams could sign players to eight-year contracts. Once the new Collective Bargaining Agreement takes effect, seven years will be the longest term available on new deals.
In Other News...
Sabres Just Made A Long-Term Bet On A Young Forward
The Sabres have decided they are not waiting to see whether Alexander Ostlund becomes a bigger part of their present before locking him into their future. Buffalo signed the young forward to a long-term deal that reflects the organizations belief that his value goes beyond the role he has filled so far, with Ostlund spending much of his NHL time in a bottom-six spot while also bouncing between Buffalo and Rochester.
Ostlund, the 16th overall pick in 2022, is now part of a broader roster plan that keeps several core pieces under team control through at least 2029-30. The length of the commitment says plenty about how the Sabres view his trajectory, and so does the structure of the deal, which gives him protections later on as Buffalo tries to build a more stable lineup around its young group. [Read more 🡒]
Jiri Kulich Now Faces A Huge Sabres Question At Center
Jiri Kulich has been back on the ice, and for the Sabres that alone is an encouraging development after a long stretch without him in an NHL game. The young forward has been skating and training again, and the early word around him has been positive from both Radim Mrtka and head coach Lindy Ruff, which gives Buffalo a little more reason to keep an eye on him heading into camp.
The bigger issue now is where Kulich fits in a roster that still needs answers down the middle. Buffalos struggles at the faceoff dot last season made center a glaring area of concern, and Kulich is expected to get a real look for a top-line job when training camp opens. He will have to show he can handle that responsibility quickly, because the Sabres need more than just health here - they need a center who can help stabilize a key weakness. [Read more 🡒]
Logan Stanley Still Looms Over A Sabres Depth Question
Several familiar names from Buffalos recent orbit are still looking for their next NHL stop this summer. Carson Soucy is on a professional tryout with Columbus, Nick Blankenburg has landed one with Toronto, and veteran goalie James Reimer remains unsigned after helping Ottawa last season. It is the kind of offseason churn that usually settles into training camp depth battles, but it also keeps a spotlight on players who once seemed closer to firm roster answers.
Logan Stanley remains one of the more interesting cases for the Sabres to track because his situation still has a little extra weight attached to it. The defenseman was brought in from Winnipeg at last years trade deadline in a deal that sent Isak Rosen, Jacob Bryson and two draft picks the other way, and he has yet to lock down his next NHL contract. For now, he is skating with his former junior team, leaving Buffalo with one more unresolved blue-line question as camp approaches. [Read more 🡒]