Sabres sign F Josh Doan to 7-year, $48.65M contract

Posting career highs in goals (15), assists (20) and points (35) over 49 games this season -- his first with the Buffalo Sabres -- forward Josh Doan was rewarded with a seven-year contract worth $48.65 million on Wednesday.

Doan, 23, was traded from the Utah Mammoth along with defenseman Michael Kesselring in exchange for forward JJ Peterka on June 26. A second-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in the 2021 draft, Doan would have been a restricted free agent following this season.

In 111 games over three seasons with the Coyotes, Mammoth and Sabres, Doan has compiled 63 points (27 goals, 36 assists).

"Josh is a player that impacts the team both on and off the ice," Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. "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."

Competing for their first postseason berth since 2011, the Sabres entered Wednesday fourth in the Atlantic Division and held the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.