With Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin inked to lucrative contract extensions, the Buffalo Sabres have cemented the cornerstones of their roster and are finally ready to contend for the playoffs – if not the Stanley Cup.
There aren’t many ‘franchise’ defenders in the NHL, but the Sabres have a pair of them locked in through the start of the next decade.
The Sabres and Dahlin announced their new pact on Monday [9 October], with the Swede signing an eight-year contract worth $11 million per season. Power followed two days later, committing to a seven-year deal worth $8.35 million against the salary cap.
“It just helps you build everything around that,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said of the extensions, which kick in next summer.
“And that’s why I felt it was so important to be proactive with them, make sure they understood how important they are to us and what we’re building here. Make sure that we’re aligned and that they truly wanted to be here for the right reasons. When that matched, we knew it was time to figure out a way to get it done.”
The Sabres have issued a flurry of long-term contract extensions in recent months, with Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens, and Mattias Samuelsson also locked up for the future.
After a busy week for the Atlantic Division upstarts, British Ice Hockey analyses the lay of the land in Buffalo and forecasts a decade of contention for the Sabres.
Owen Power signs seven-year, $58 million contract extension with Buffalo Sabres
Power, the first overall pick from the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, was a finalist for the Calder Trophy last season, when he posted 35 points (four goals, 31 assists) in 79 appearances. The Canadian led all rookies in average ice time (23:48) and ranked fifth amongst all skaters in total even-strength ice time (1,634:47).
Power thrived in all situations last season and is set to become a dominant force for years to come.
“It’s obviously a nice feeling to get it done before the year,” the 20-year-old said of his extension. “I don’t have to worry about it. It was a super-exciting moment. So, I think, like I said, just an awesome feeling to get it done.”
Owen Power, Buffalo Sabres (Image: NHL)
While Power is still an unfinished product defensively, his offensive upside is already clear to see and scored him generational wealth on what is only his second professional contract – a deal that projects very favourable for the Sabres down the line.
“I think what he did at his age is pretty remarkable and the minutes he played, and they weren’t sheltered minutes, all the situations, in that position at that age,” explained Adams.
“Obviously he has talent; everybody can see that he has talent. But the maturity he plays with, the calmness, the poise, and he’s still getting bigger and stronger. So he’s just scratching the surface of what I believe he can do.
“When you have defensemen like him that can be out there 25-plus minutes per game in every situation and then you add, by the way, Rasmus and Mattias that are young and can eat up huge minutes, I think that’s a really good place to start building your team.”
Rasmus Dahlin inks eight-year, $88 million contract extension with Buffalo Sabres
Dahlin is one of the best offensive blueliners in the sport and it is no surprise that the Sabres moved to make him their highest-paid player.
The 23-year-old finished last season tied for fifth amongst all defencemen for points, with 73 (15 goals, 73 assists) in 78 games, and is one of only twelve defenders in league history to score more than 200 points before their 23rd birthday.
“I know I’m biased, but I look at him as one of the top in the world at what he does,” Adams said of his No. 1 defenceman last season. “He’s taken huge steps. I couldn’t be more proud of him but I also know how much work he’s put into this. I still think he’s going to get better. You hear me say that a lot. He’s a player I believe will keep getting better.”
Dahlin projects as a future Calder Trophy finalist, with his elite two-way ability crucial to Buffalo’s Stanley Cup ambitions.
Buffalo Sabres face salary cap crunch after extending Owen Power & Rasmus Dahlin
While there is always the possibility of a trade, the Sabres will expect to skate through the next half dozen seasons with a settled core.
Adams has built a core five in Buffalo, with Power, Dahlin, Samuelsson, Thompson, and Cozens all signed through at least 2029-30.
The Sabres are projected to have a touch over $20 million in cap space next season, albeit with ten players – including four restricted free agents – to re-sign.
With that said, the salary cap is tipped to rise sharply in the years ahead – erasing years of stagnation brought by the pandemic – and the Sabres are well-positioned to thrive in a less austere era.
It is never a bad idea for a team to lock in their core for the next six years – especially when two of those cornerstone pieces are top-quality puck-moving defenceman who could fetch even heftier salaries on the open market.
While the Sabres will run closer to the salary cap in the years ahead, it would be foolish to worry about Buffalo’s future – they’ll contend for the next decade.
