The Buffalo Sabres have signed a player currently playing on their top line to a seven-year contract extension. Up-and-comer Josh Doan, you know son of Shane Doan, will be in Buffalo for a while longer. Today, he agrees to an average annual value salary cap hit of $6.95 million.
SEVEN MORE YEARS OF DOANER ⚔️
We have signed Josh Doan to a seven-year extension with an AAV of $6.95 million.
Details → https://t.co/zc05oBo2cE pic.twitter.com/XVhj1KQJFh
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) January 21, 2026
Josh Doan Extension
This is a great signing for Buffalo. The 23-year-old came to Buffalo this summer from the Utah Mammoth. He was the “throw in” piece from Utah to get JJ Peterka. The Mammoth also traded for size and a defensive defenceman Michael Kesselring to Buffalo.
The young man started on the fourth line in training camp and climbed his way onto the top line. His stellar play earned him just shy of a $49 million contract.
He is performing with the Blue and Gold this season. Doan has scored 15 times this year with 20 assists for 35 total points in 49 games played. That’s almost a 60 point pace. Last season in Utah, he had 19 points in 51 games. The growth from last to this year has been exponential. And if he continues to grow in his prime, the Sabres could be looking at one of the best contracts in the NHL.
Josh Doan, extended 7x$7M by BUF, is a two-way playdriving winger who forechecks and backchecks like his life depends on it and is increasingly flourishing offensively as well. Analytical darling in Utah as a fourth liner and has scaled it up beautifully. pic.twitter.com/cgyYwMQ3AP
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) January 21, 2026
What This Means For Buffalo
This was a deal that needed to get done in Buffalo. However, they still have some other money moves to figure out this season. With Doan’s cap hit going up by nearly $6 million bucks, they will have to make cuts in other areas. This comes when Alex Tuch needs a contract, given he will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.
Kesselring and Zach Benson are also pending RFAs. There is work to be done. However, with Jarmo Kekalainen at the helm, the Sabres feel better than ever to navigate through this. For now, they will enjoy having the hard working glue guy in their room until he’s 30.
Main Photo Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images