The Doan-Shark is here to stay, for a long, long time
Josh Doan has been more than a revelation in his first season with the Buffalo Sabres since coming over from the Utah Mammoth along with defenseman Michael Kesselring as part of the trade that saw forward JJ Peterka go the other way. And now he’s going to become part of the revolution that sees the Sabres gain relevance in the NHL again.
The Sabres announced earlier today that the pending restricted free agent had inked a seven year contract extension worth $48.65 million that will see him stay in Buffalo until he is 30.
Doan, son of legendary Phoenix Coyotes’ defenseman Shane Doan, was in the last year of his entry level deal at $925k AAV, and has been signed to a very cap-friendly average annual value contract of $6.95m given that he leads the NHL in takeaways, and is third on the team in goals scored and fourth in assists and points scored. He also leads the Sabres in on-ice expected goal share at 5-on-5, further accentuating his importance to the team.
The soon-to-be 24-year-old has blown away any expectations the Sabrehood has had of his possible fit here in Buffalo, scoring 15 goals with 20 assists in 49 games, nearly doubling his output with Utah last season leading the way with his intense forechecking and physical play inspiring the team. Crucially, 11 of those 35 points have come on the power play as he averages 16:04 a night.
Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen in his press release emphasized the important role the forward plays on the Sabres.
“Josh is a player that impacts the team both on and off the ice. He works hard, is competitive and skilled, and his game is going to continue to develop. We believe he will be a core piece of this team moving forward and I am excited to have him as a Buffalo Sabre long term.”
In a recent interview, Doan indicated his desire to remain in Western New York and become part of the generation that brings playoff hockey back to a starved fanbase.
“I want to be in Buffalo, and I want to play here. The support I’ve gotten since I got here has been amazing. I laugh with my family, where my old man didn’t leave where he was once, and I’ve been on my way three times now. It’s something at the end of the day, though, I do want to be in one place and grow with a group. I think this is the group to do it with. We have a lot of fun and young guys here.”
New GM Kekäläinen still has a bit more work coming up in the near future with the futures of pending free agents Alex Tuch and Beck Malenstyn and restricted free agents Zach Benson, Peyton Krebs and Kesselring yet to be decided, but this is a good start to a summer where the NHL salary cap is expected to go up by a significant amount.