Now that the Buffalo Sabres have Dylan Cozens locked in for another seven seasons, which player will they extend next? Here is one name.
Dylan Cozens will be sticking around until 2030, and hopefully longer. The Sabres rewarded Cozens (43 points at the moment), with a long-term extension, and he was the latest in a growing line of young talent to get a lucrative deal.
The signing once again showed us that the Sabres are a far cry from the unstable wreck they were in the not-so-distant past, and that the new era is out in full force. Now that Buffalo extended Cozens, the question on every Sabres fan’s mind is: Who do they extend next?
That player will most likely be Rasmus Dahlin, who will become eligible for an extension this summer. While Tyson Jost is another name I can see the Sabres extending, Dahlin will likely command an eight-figure AAV over the next seven years, making him a guaranteed part of the young core for the rest of the decade.
Look for the Buffalo Sabres to give Rasmus Dahlin a lucrative payday
Dahlin has been the Sabres most consistent player over the past two seasons. He set career highs in points in 2021-22 and 2022-23, and he made a pair of appearances in the NHL All-Star Game.
This season, Dahlin has also undertaken a sound two-way approach, transforming into one of the NHL’s most physical defenseman who isn’t afraid to finish open-ice checks or to get into shoving matches with opponents. If you had to pick one player who epitomizes the two-way game in Buffalo, Dahlin would grace the top of your list.
Per Cap Friendly, Dahlin’s current contract expires following the 2023-24 season with a current AAV sits at $6 million. When the Sabres extend Dahlin, they will have four players of their young core intact that also includes Cozens, Tage Thompson, and Mattias Samuelsson.
Since there is also plenty of young talent climbing the rungs like Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Jack Quinn, and J.J. Peterka, the Sabres wouldn’t be finished locking their young players into long-term deals just yet. Assuming they too experience and enjoy breakout seasons in the near future.
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