The Buffalo Sabres announced this afternoon that they’ve re-signed defenseman Casey Nelson to a two-year $1.625 million contract ($812,500 AAV).
The 25-year-old defender was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in July. General manager Jason Botterill indicated after the season the two sides have had good talks and anticipated a deal getting done prior to free agency opening.
Nelson was a pleasant surprise for the Sabres this season. He started out well with the organization after he was signed as an undrafted free agent from Minnesota State University in 2016.
He struggled to find that success to start the 2016-17 season and was sent to the Rochester Americans. The Minnesota native spent the last season and a half with the Amerks before getting the call for another NHL shot in the middle of this past season.
Nelson caught the attention of Phil Housley and was used in a top-four role down the stretch of the season. He played in 37 games with the Sabres scoring three goals and eight points.