It feels like not many things go right for the Buffalo Sabres. Despite a couple of impactful additions, many feel like they may not be enough and that the Sabres still aren’t quite stacking up against the competition in the Atlantic Division.
With the dog days of summer upon us and not much in the way of transactions to discuss, it’s time to look at the Sabres’ cap structure and the contracts they have in tow. As it turns out, there are three deals that stand a cut above the rest in terms of value to the team.
Tage Thompson – 7 years, $50 million ($7.14 million AAV)
This was an excellent deal when it was signed in the summer of 2022, with Thompson coming off a breakout season that saw him score a career-high 38 goals while notching 30 assists and 68 points (both career bests).
Three full seasons later, the Thompson deal is looking like a better and better contract all the time. Twice, Thompson has hit the 40-goal plateau, topping out at 47 goals during the 2022-23 season. He also hit 94 points that campaign, showing his ability to be a top-flight forward in this league.
Thompson is fresh off a 44-goal season and seems hungry to crack the 50-goal mark for the first time in his career. His contract is the market value for a very good second-line center and he produces like a top-line forward consistently. This is arguably the best contract in the NHL at this point.
Owen Power – 7 years, $58.45 million ($8.35 million AAV)
This choice may have some of the persistent critics guffawing, but the evidence is there that Power can be a stellar top-four defenseman in this league. With the addition of Michael Kesselring as his partner, it finally looks like Power will be set up for success.
Related: Which Sabres Offseason Acquisition Will Have the Biggest Impact?
Offensively, Power’s numbers have ticked up across the board. He hit career-highs in goals (seven), assists (33), and points (40) in 2024-25. His defensive game, particularly his net-front play, were sore spots but the addition of Kesselring will hopefully remedy that.
With a proper partner in place, Power should take off in 2025-26. More importantly, his $8.35 million average annual value (AAV) is starting to look more tenable given the defensive market. Ivan Provorov getting $8.5 million per season from the Columbus Blue Jackets will make this deal look far more favorable perhaps as soon as a year from now.
Bowen Byram – 2 years, $12.5 million ($6.25 million AAV)
Admittedly, this situation may have been better resolved with a trade, but that didn’t come to be. Rather than giving Byram a huge deal north of $8 million per season, the Sabres made the prudent move of signing him to a bridge deal.
Byram showed that he can be a high-quality defenseman when playing with Rasmus Dahlin, and that appears to be his permanent spot going into the 2025-26 season. He had his best offensive output to date, notching 38 points in his first full season.
With improved health and the benefit of playing with Dahlin, this is a win-win for the Sabres. They buy more time to potentially trade him (ideally for a top-six forward) or sign him long-term to stay next to Dahlin if he pans out. It was certainly a prudent move by Sabres management.
Adams Deserves Some Kudos
Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams gets a lot of flak, and deservedly so. Even still, he has signed some favorable deals that set the Sabres up nicely for the long-term. Even Rasmus Dahlin’s $11 million AAV will begin to look better as the cap ticks upward.
With quality contracts to Byram, Power, Thompson, and Ryan McLeod, the Sabres have more than a bit of wiggle room to work with. Whether they make the most of that cap space remains to be seen.
