The Buffalo Sabres announced on Wednesday they have signed forward Josh Doan to a seven-year contract extension worth $6.95 million per season.
Doan, 23, is fourth on the team with 35 points in 49 games this season. He has become an integral piece to Buffalo’s identity on the ice with his tenacious backchecking, and currently leads the NHL in takeaways.
“Josh is a player that impacts the team both on and off the ice,” Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen said in a statement. “He works hard, is competitive and skilled, and his game is going to continue to develop. We believe he will be a core piece of this team moving forward and I am excited to have him as a Buffalo Sabre long term.”
He was originally set to become a restricted free agent this summer, but this deal keeps him in Buffalo through 2033. Doan now joins a core of players locked up long-term that includes forwards Tage Thompson and defensemen Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson and Owen Power.
Doan was acquired from Utah alongside defenseman Michael Kesselring for forward JJ Peterka this past summer.