Sabres make huge commitment to 22-year-old center with eight-year, $52.8 million deal

The Buffalo Sabres are betting big on their future, and Noah Östlund is right at the center of it.

The team announced Sunday that the 22-year-old center has signed an eight-year contract extension worth $52.8 million, an average annual value of $6.6 million that will kick in for the 2027-28 season once his current deal wraps up.

Östlund just wrapped his rookie campaign, and it was a strong one.

He posted 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points across 60 games, showing off the playmaking instincts that made him a first-round pick back in 2022.

Sabres fans have been waiting to see what he could do with a full season in the lineup, and he delivered.

General manager Kevyn Adams has made a habit of locking up young talent before it hits the open market, and this move fits that pattern perfectly.

Buffalo has already extended players like Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Zach Benson well ahead of schedule, and now Östlund joins that group.

The timing also lines up with a looming CBA deadline that made teams around the league move fast on similar deals.

It is a clear message that Buffalo wants to build around homegrown talent instead of chasing pricier options on the trade or free agent market.

Some analysts have questioned whether an eight-year term is the right call for a player who spent most of last season in a bottom six role, but the Sabres clearly see more in his game.

If Östlund continues to develop the way Buffalo hopes, this contract could look like a bargain in a few years.

For now, it is another sign that the Sabres are building their core piece by piece, and they are not waiting around to do it.

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