Josh Doan Emerging as Two-Way Star for Sabres - and Earning Every Bit of It
When the Buffalo Sabres pulled the trigger on the JJ Peterka trade with the Utah Mammoth this past offseason, Josh Doan was seen as a promising piece with upside. But even the most bullish projections didn’t have him turning into a legitimate two-way difference-maker this quickly.
Now, 45 games into his Sabres tenure, Doan has already set a new personal best with 32 points - 14 goals and 18 assists - and he’s doing it while playing a responsible, relentless brand of hockey that’s turning heads across the league. Offense aside, his defensive impact might be the most eye-opening part of his game. According to HockeyViz, Doan carries a +3.2 defensive rating at 5-on-5 - a number that speaks volumes about his commitment away from the puck.
It’s the kind of profile that’s starting to generate Selke Trophy buzz. Neil Pierre-Louis of Pierre Analytics even made the case publicly, and honestly, it’s hard to argue.
Just look at the tape from the past week.
Against Anaheim, Doan disrupted a zone entry with a slick stick check near the blue line. The puck popped free to Peyton Krebs, who quickly fed Tage Thompson for a textbook tap-in.
A couple nights later, Doan jumped a Flyers pass in the neutral zone, flipped the play the other way, and helped set up a goal by Mattias Samuelsson. These aren’t just hustle plays - they’re high-IQ, high-impact moments that lead directly to goals.
This is the kind of play that’s making the Sabres’ front office look smarter by the day. Doan has been all gas, no brakes since arriving in Buffalo - a player who seems to thrive on the dirty work while still finding ways to contribute on the scoresheet.
And that’s where things get interesting for the Sabres brass.
Doan is due for a new contract this offseason. He’s a restricted free agent, so there’s no immediate danger of losing him, but the price tag is climbing fast. With four power-play goals already - on a unit that’s struggled to find consistency - and a growing role in all situations, Doan is building a case for a long-term investment.
The Sabres have a decision to make: lock him up now, or wait and risk paying more down the line.
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen has to weigh the usual risk-reward calculus that comes with committing big money to a young player in the middle of a breakout season. But Doan isn’t just putting up numbers - he’s showing signs of being a foundational piece. He checks the boxes you want in a long-term core player: production, versatility, maturity, and a clear desire to be part of something bigger.
And that last part matters.
Doan’s made it clear - he wants to stay in Buffalo.
“I want to be here,” Doan told Matthew Fairburn. “That’s something me and my agency and my family have made clear.
I want to be in Buffalo, and I want to play here. The support I’ve gotten since I got here has been amazing.
I laugh with my family, where my old man didn’t leave where he was once, and I’ve been on my way three times now. It’s something at the end of the day, though, I do want to be in one place and grow with a group.
I think this is the group to do it with. We have a lot of fun and young guys here.”
That’s not just lip service. That’s a 23-year-old who’s bought into the vision - a guy who wants to grow with this team and help lift it out of the long shadow of a 14-year playoff drought. For a franchise that’s seen too many key players walk away and thrive elsewhere, hearing that kind of commitment from a budding star is refreshing.
Of course, there’s always risk in handing out long-term deals to players coming off breakout years. The Sabres have been burned before - Dylan Cozens and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen come to mind - though in UPL’s case, his recent resurgence is making that contract look a lot better.
But the takeaway here is simple: if you believe in the player, and the player wants to be here, you make the deal.
Doan may not win the Selke - not with former Sabres standout Sam Reinhart in the mix and on pace for 44 goals - but he’s absolutely earned a seat at the table. And more importantly, he’s playing the kind of hockey that helps teams win in April and May.
If Buffalo’s going to finally break through and end that long postseason absence, they’ll need Doan to keep doing what he’s doing: playing smart, fast, and with a chip on his shoulder.
So far, he’s been everything the Sabres could’ve hoped for - and then some.