First Rasmus Dahlin and now Owen Power.
In the span of three days, the Buffalo Sabers settled the cases of their two star defensemen, this time by offering Power a seven-year contract extension worth $58.45 million. This is an annual salary of 8.35 million.
The deal was made a day before the Sabers opened their season by hosting the New York Rangers. Earlier this week, the Sabers made Dahlin the franchise’s highest-paid player by giving him an 8-year, $88 million contract.
Both players were first-round draft picks, Dahlin in 2018, followed by Power three years later. And both are part of the core of a young, developing Buffalo team with increasingly high expectations.
The Sabers enter the season hoping to finally end a 12-year playoff-less streak, the worst in NHL history. Last season, Buffalo was eliminated in the final week of the regular season.
Power, 20, signed his first contract with Buffalo in the final weeks of the 2021-22 season after finishing his sophomore season at the University of Michigan. The Mississauga, Ontario native became the first American college player to be selected first overall in the draft since Erik Johnson in 2006.
Last season, Power was the NHL’s top rookie defenseman with 35 points (4 goals, 31 assists).
At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, Power has a smooth, quick skate, which fits the Sabres’ style of wanting defensemen to join the attack.
Power’s new contract will take effect after his three-year rookie contract expires at the end of this season.
He thus becomes the most recent Sabers player to sign a long-term contract. In addition to Dahlin, the group includes centers Tage Thompson, who signed a 7-year, $50 million contract last year, and Dylan Cozens (7 years, $49.7 million), as well as defenseman Mattias Samuelsson ( 7 years, $30 million).
