The Buffalo Sabres have put themselves in a strong spot for the years ahead, and the reason goes well beyond one breakout season or one big name. The front office has quietly stacked the roster with long-term contracts that give the team both talent and cost control, a combination that can keep a contender alive in a crowded Atlantic Division.
At the top of that list is Rasmus Dahlin, whose 8-year, $88 million extension has started to look more and more like a smart bet. Signed in 2023, it was seen then as expensive but unavoidable.
Now, with Dahlin entering his prime and carrying the second-largest cap hit in 2026-27, the number is poised to age well. As more top defensemen around the league land massive new deals, his $11 million AAV should only become more attractive.
Dahlin is still the kind of player who drives everything for Buffalo and should stay in the Norris Trophy conversation.
Tage Thompson belongs in the same conversation when the discussion turns to contract value. A three-time 40-goal scorer making $7.14 million per season in 2026 is a major win for the Sabres.
Thompson looks capable of pushing toward 40 goals again and could even make a run at 50 for the first time in his career. His role down the stretch last season at winger seemed to fit, and if that continues, the deal becomes even better.
At a baseline, he’s a 40-goal, 75-point player who costs far less than some peers who haven’t reached that level of production.
Mattias Samuelsson is another deal that suddenly looks a lot better than it once did. The 2025-26 season changed the story around him completely, as he stayed healthy for a full year, posted a career-high 41 points and gave Buffalo the physical, dependable defense it had been waiting for.
His $4.28 million AAV through 2029 now stands out as one of the best bargains on the roster. If he can come close to that level again, he could be one of the league’s best values among defensemen.
Zach Benson was viewed as a strong value the moment his 7-year, $52.5 million extension was signed, and that hasn’t changed. His game goes far beyond the box score.
He’s a disruptive, two-way presence who brings a lot of edge and impact. At 21, he’s still growing offensively, too.
If he can get into 70 games or more and reach 60 points, the contract could become one of the best in the NHL. For now, locking him in through 2032 at $7.5 million per season looks like a major victory.
Josh Doan gives the Sabres another useful long-term piece, and his path to value has been a little different. Coming over in the J.J.
Peterka trade, he was initially viewed as the throw-in, but he ended up being more than that. He outplayed Peterka and emerged as the best player in the deal.
Like Benson, Doan brings energy, physicality and a 200-foot game. He may not have the same upside, but if he settles in around 20 goals and 50 points while keeping that motor and defensive bite, his $6.95 million annual cost will be more than fair.
There’s also some uncertainty around a couple of other deals. Owen Power’s 7-year, $58.45 million extension began with the 2024-25 season, and it looks like it may be turning into a good one as his game trends upward.
As the price of quality defensemen keeps climbing, his $8.35 million AAV could look better and better if his development continues into legitimate top-four territory. Josh Norris is a different case.
The same old issue follows him: health. He can score at a .75-or-better points per game pace, but he has to stay available.
If he can give Buffalo a full season as a dependable top-six center, his $7.95 million cap hit through 2029 will look like a bargain. If not, it will remain a frustrating but manageable contract.
Taken together, the Sabres have built a core that fits the modern cap environment. Kevyn Adams deserves credit for some of the groundwork, and Jarmo Kekalainen has continued that approach. The next step is finding the rest of the pieces, but Buffalo already has a strong foundation in place, and that should keep the team’s contention window open for a long time.
In Other News...
Sabres Just Raised A Bigger Goalie Question Than Fans Expected
The Sabres goaltending picture changed quickly when they added Colten Ellis off waivers from St. Louis and sent Devon Levi to the AHL for the 2025-26 season. Ellis, a 2019 fifth-round pick, had just established himself as a full-time AHL starter in 2024-25 and also saw NHL time with the Blues, making 16 appearances and putting together an 8-4-2 record.
Buffalos net has been a moving target for a while because of injuries and roster needs, and this move points right back to that reality. The expectation around the team is that it will again carry three goalies, which means Ellis could be more than a simple depth addition and may wind up in position for more NHL work as a backup if the Sabres need it. [Read more 🡒]
Jiri Kulich Could Decide Buffalos Biggest Camp Battle
Jiri Kulichs status is becoming one of the more important subplots as Sabres training camp approaches, and for good reason. The young center missed most of last season because of a blood clot, but coach Lindy Ruff offered an encouraging update, saying Kulich is in town, has been skating and looks good. For Buffalo, that matters beyond just the health check. Kulich had flashed real upside before the setback, and his play alongside Tage Thompson and Zach Benson gave the Sabres a look at a different kind of lineup balance when he was on.
Now the bigger question is whether Kulich can put himself back in the mix for the top center job, where Buffalo has options and no clear answer yet. Josh Norris is part of that conversation, along with other candidates, which turns camp into more than a routine reset. If Kulich looks like the player the Sabres saw before the injury, he could force the issue quickly and make the competition much more interesting than it already is. [Read more 🡒]
Rasmus Dahlin Just Gave Sabres Fans A Reason To Dream Bigger
Rasmus Dahlins rise has become the kind of development Buffalo has waited years to see from its franchise cornerstone. As the Sabres captain, he backed up the leadership label with a career-high 74 points and helped push the club into the playoffs for the first time since 2011, a season that also brought recognition beyond the box score with nominations for both the Bill Masterton and Norris trophies.
The respect around the league is starting to match what Sabres fans have watched on the ice, and The Athletics annual player rankings reflected that by putting Dahlin among the NHLs elite while other Buffalo names showed up across different tiers. For a team trying to move from promising to dangerous, the bigger question now is whether this is the start of a sustained climb or just the first taste of what Dahlin can make possible. [Read more 🡒]