The Buffalo Sabres have announced today that they have signed forward Olivier Nadeau to a three-year entry-level contract. Nadeau was the team’s fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft.
Nadeau, 19, has been playing for the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL for the past three seasons. He followed up a rookie campaign where he only posted 23 points in 58 games by nearly doubling his point total, scoring 45 points in 34 games in 2020-21. That form made him a top-100 pick at the 2021 draft, and he has followed up that success with a strong 2021-22 campaign. He had 35 goals and 78 points in 65 games this season to go along with six points in six playoff games. Nadeau’s size and skill combination make him an intriguing prospect, although some worry about his skating and overall speed.
Regardless of the exact makeup of Nadeau’s prospect profile, it’s clear that Nadeau helps contribute to the Sabres’ prospect pool being among the league’s best. The team recently signed a second-rounder from the 2021 draft, Aleksandr Kisakov, and should have more prospect signings to finalize as the offseason continues.