The Buffalo Sabres are firmly in the playoff race, looking to erase a 14-season postseason drought. An offseason trade made by the now-fired Kevyn Adams has paid off in spades this season. After picking him up from the Utah Mammoth in the summer, the Sabres signed Josh Doan to a seven-year contract extension on Wednesday. How did both sides fare in the deal, worth $6.95 million per year?
The Sabres traded forward JJ Peterka to the Mammoth for defenseman Michael Kesselring and Doan. Peterka signed an extension with Utah, $7.7 million per year for five years, and is pushing for a Western Conference playoff spot. Kesselring has played just 17 games for Buffalo this season due to injuries.
Doan has swung the trade in the Sabres' favor so far, but was this the right contract to sign him to?
The Sabres lock in Josh Doan
Buffalo made the right move by signing Doan to this seven-year contract. The deal takes Doan until he is 31 years old, which keeps a top-six winger in Buffalo for a large chunk of his prime. With 35 points in 49 games, he has the team heading in the right direction. Potentially most importantly, Doan wanted to be a Buffalo Sabre, something Peterka did not.
Despite the playoff opportunity in Buffalo this year, the future of Alex Tuch is unknown. The Western New York native is a pending free agent, but has had a lot of success playing with Doan and Tage Thompson. With Doan now locked in at a reasonable cap hit, they have the room to fit Tuch in under the salary cap this summer.
For now, the Sabres get an A for the Doan extension. They made a bet that he would replace Peterka's output, which he has perfected, and now, he will be with the team for a long time. If this leads to a massive Tuch extension before next season, it will level up to an A+
Josh Doan signs a big deal at this first opportunity
The Sabres made a bet with Doan that paid off, which they should be given credit for. Doan was given a chance that was not coming with the Mammoth, and he has made the most of it, which he deserves credit for as well. This contract gives the credit to the Sabres, but does not allow for Doan to level up his payday for many years.
Doan will turn 24 years old in just a few weeks, and telling anyone that age to deny nearly $50 million is silly. But this deal eats up four years of unrestricted free agency at far below market value for a UFA. The $6.95 million payday is a great rate for Doan, but he signed away too many of his free agent years in this deal.
If the Sabres make the playoffs this season, the Peterka-Doan swap will be looked at as the last great move by Adams. If Doan outperforms this contract over the next 7.5 years, it will be looked at as the first great move of the Jarmo Kekalainen era. Adams was fired after a long run as Buffalo's GM, making way for Kekalainen.
What is next for Buffalo?
The Sabres now look to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season. Despite some of the great players and future Stanley Cup Champions that have walked out the door in between now and then, they have fallen short. Doan is a part of the new era that should bring Buffalo back to the playoffs.
The Sabres have answered a lot of questions this season, but the East is tight. They are far from guaranteed to make the postseason this year, but Doan is a piece they have not had before.
