Sabres Make Big Bet with Noah Östlund Just Before Deadline

The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Noah Östlund to an eight-year contract extension carrying a $6.6 million average annual value, the team announced Monday morning. The deal comes just before Tuesday’s league-wide deadline, after which the new Collective Bargaining Agreement will cap all new contracts at seven years — making Östlund one of the last players in NHL history eligible for an eight-year term.

---

Östlund, 22, impressed in his rookie season, posting 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 60 games while showing a disciplined, two-way game that won over his coaching staff. Head coach Lindy Ruff praised the young forward’s hockey IQ back in April, noting that Östlund rarely needs correcting because he consistently reads the play well and stays positionally sound, particularly in his own zone.

Though limited to just two playoff appearances due to injury, Östlund still made an impact, setting up a teammate with a difficult pass through traffic in his postseason debut against Boston and later hustling to score an empty-net goal.

Buffalo drafted Östlund 16th overall in 2022. He spent two seasons developing in Sweden’s professional ranks before making the jump to the AHL’s Rochester Americans in 2024-25, arriving in the NHL last season already well-prepared for the pro game.

The extension might seem high given his relatively lower production, but it suggests the Sabres see Östlund as a long-term piece of Buffalo’s young core. He becomes the tenth Sabres player signed through at least the 2029-30 season, joining forwards Josh Norris, Zach Benson, Tage Thompson, Josh Doan, Peyton Krebs and Beck Malenstyn, along with defensemen Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson.

Despite the high AAV, reaction among Sabres fans was largely enthusiastic, with many calling the deal a shrewd, team-friendly bet on a rising young talent amid an increasing NHL salary cap. An AAV that looks a bit rich given Östlund’s rookie-year production so far, it could turn out to be a savvy move. As one fan pointed out, “Remember that it makes sense to bet on these young kids early because even if they don’t pan out, GMs can buy out players before age 26 at 1/3, so the cost would only be 2.2M per year, and in a rising cap environment, that’s nothing.”

Next: “Truth is a Lot More Boring”: The McDavid Leaving Oilers for Maple Leafs Rumor