Sabres sign Zach Benson to seven-year extension

A pest to opponents, but a beloved figure in his own city, has earned a big payday.

On Wednesday, the Buffalo Sabres announced that the team has signed forward Zach Benson to a seven-year contract extension. The deal, set to begin next season, carries an AAV of $7.5 million through the 2032-33 campaign.

It’s a significant pay raise for Benson, who is coming off his three-year, entry-level contract, which had an AAV of $1.6 million.

While his numbers might tell one story, the level of importance Benson has shown in his young NHL career cannot be overstated. The 21-year-old has been a firecracker for a Buffalo team that has seemingly turned the corner and has climbed out of a decade-plus-long rebuild. Benson made his NHL debut in the fall of 2023, only a couple of months after he was taken 13th overall at the NHL Draft, and has been a consistent part of the Sabers’ lineup ever since. His aggressive and tenacious play has made him a fan favorite in Western New York, even while the team was still trying to find its path to better days.

Never did Benson’s play ever prove to be more useful than this past season. The Chilliwack, B.C. native set career highs in goals (13), assists (30) and points (43), helping the Sabres not only qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 15 years, but the team also won a division title for the first time since 2009-10. Then, Benson was a menace in the first round against the Boston Bruins, scoring two goals and three points as Buffalo won its first postseason series in 19 years. Benson ended up with five goals and nine points in 13 games, as the Sabres were ultimately eliminated in the second round by the Montreal Canadiens.

In 211 regular-season appearances, Benson has notched 34 goals and 67 assists for 101 points.

Benson joins fellow forward Josh Doan, captain Rasmus Dahlin, and defenseman Owen Power as the only players on the Sabers roster who are signed beyond the 2029-30 campaign. Benson and Doan are the only ones on the books through 2032-33.

With the signing, the Sabres have 36 of a possible 50 NHL contracts signed for next season, with just under $13.8 million in projected cap space, according to PuckPedia.