Buffalo Sabres secure Josh Doan long-term with massive $48.65m extension

The Buffalo Sabres have secured forward Josh Doan on a seven-year, $48.65 million contract extension, officially announced on Wednesday.

The deal locks in the 23-year-old as a long-term pillar of Buffalo’s core and marks the first major signing completed by newly promoted general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen. Doan is enjoying a breakout campaign in his first season with the Sabres and has quickly established himself as a key contributor.

A native of Scottsdale, Arizona, and the son of former Coyotes captain Shane Doan, the third-year forward is beginning to mirror his father’s blend of physicality and offensive impact. He has already set career highs with 15 goals and 35 points in 49 games this season, while also leading the NHL with 35 takeaways.

Doan was entering the final year of his rookie contract and is now under team control through the 2032–33 season.

“Josh is a player who impacts the team both on and off the ice,” Kekäläinen said. “He’s competitive, skilled, works extremely hard, and his game is only going to keep growing.”

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound forward was acquired alongside defenseman Michael Kesselring in a June trade that sent JJ Peterka to Utah, a deal completed by former general manager Kevyn Adams prior to his dismissal last month.

After playing mostly a checking role earlier in his career, Doan has embraced a larger offensive responsibility in Buffalo and has already surpassed his combined production from his first two NHL seasons.

Doan’s two-way presence has helped fuel Buffalo’s surge into playoff contention as the Sabres attempt to snap their NHL-record 14-season postseason drought. Buffalo entered Wednesday fifth in the Eastern Conference standings and has gone 16-3-1 over its past 20 games.