According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, the Buffalo Sabres are nearing a contract extension with forward Josh Doan. A few moments later, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that it’ll be a seven-year, $48.65MM ($6.95MM AAV) deal. The Sabres have confirmed the contract.
PuckPedia provided the year-by-year breakdown of Doan’s extension:
- 2026-28: $3.45MM salary, $3.5M signing bonus
- 2028-29: $6.95MM salary
- 2029-33: $6.95MM salary, seven-team no-trade clause
General Manager Jarmo Kekäläinen makes his first major move as the new leader of Buffalo’s front office. Doan’s next extension will keep the forward in upstate New York through the 2032-33 NHL season, when he’ll be 31 years old.
Few would have predicted a mammoth extension for Doan just six months ago. Over the summer, the Sabres acquired Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring from the Utah Mammoth for JJ Peterka. At the time, Doan was believed to be a long-term fit in the middle six of Buffalo’s forward core.
That’s largely what he showed with his last organization. Throughout the first two years of his career, Doan registered 12 goals and 28 points in 62 games split between the Arizona Coyotes and Utah Hockey Club, averaging 13:18 of ice time with a +4 rating. He had relatively impactful possession and defensive metrics, though nothing would indicate he would break out as he has with the Sabres.
In Buffalo, he’s already surpassed his previous career totals. Throughout 49 games this year, Doan has scored 15 goals and 35 points, averaging 16:04 of ice time per game. That production is good for third on the team in goal-scoring and fourth in total scoring. He isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, either.
Not only has Doan alleviated the concerns of trading a player of Peterka’s offensive caliber, but he actually has three more points than Peterka this season in the same number of games played. According to MoneyPuck, the line of Peyton Krebs, Tage Thompson, and Doan has averaged a 55.1% xGoals% in all situations, which is the 20th best in the league for forward units that have played in 150 or more minutes together.
Additionally, his on-ice Goals% (60.4%) is the highest on the team by a healthy margin, arguably making him the most productive forward on the team this season. He has shown some new shortcomings on the defensive side of the puck, though Buffalo is likely willing to overlook that as long as he keeps tearing it up in the other direction.
Photo courtesy of Eric Hartline-Imagn Images.
Good for him. Good kid with a good dad!
I absolutely love this for Buffalo. He fits like a glove and provides grit and toughness in the top six that they desperately needed. He may be their most important piece after Dahlin and Tage.
Man he got himself a contact alright! I hope this deal works out for buffalo, he’s a fun player to watch. A little risky, but should be good in general
Seven years in Buffalo? Poor guy.
Could be worse. Could be in Toronto WITH his dad.
Are you aware that he made this decision? Please keep posting!
Are you aware that it was a joke?
(Anti-Leafs / Anti-Treviling) type joke…get it?
Lighten up bub
It’s hockey. Lighten up. A lot.
This just in: I was not responding to your post.
why do you always get Rage Baited XD
So I guess that means doghockey is mad at me? I am aware Doan signed this contract knowing that the Sabres are too stupid not to trade him before the contract ends.
This just in: No one cares.
I think Doghockey is just mad at everybody that has an opinion different from his.
(I’m assuming it’s a guy. My bad if it isn’t 😀)
He’s better than Peterka. Its interesting that the major pieces of that trade have struggled this year JJ in Utah and Kesselring in Buffalo
Doan really exploded in Buffalo, i remember when everyone criticized Buffalo for a weak return for Peterka, definitely Kevyn Adams best trade
Doan is also a great forechecker. His 35 takeaway lead the team by a mile (next best has only 22).
Playing with Thompson is a mixed bag because Tage doesn’t play defense. As a result, your offensive numbers get boosted while defensive suffer. Contracts though get handed out mainly on the point production, so Doan got lucky there. His real value will become apparent when playing without Tage.
While Peterka’s numbers have declined, Doan’s have improved to a point where the Peterka trade becomes known as the Doan trade.
Tage has gotten more involved defensively. He won’t be a selke candidate tho.
Is his no-trade list Canada?
If the Sabres learned to play a little better as a team defensively,they would be really tough.They do get scoring from a lot of people.But defensively,they give up more chances than they could.