There is no question in the Buffalo Sabres' history, they have made some really bad choices when it comes to the contracts they give out. However, there have also been some really great bargains over that time, in terms of players who bring more value to the team than the AAV would reflect.
This season is no different and when looking at the AAV for the players on the Buffalo Sabres, these are four players who likely will outperform their current contract.
*All contract figures courtesy of Puckpedia
Alex Tuch
Let's start with the player who likely will not be on this type of list after this season, whether he is in Buffalo or somewhere else in the NHL. Alex Tuch is entering the final year of his contract and has an AAV of $4.75 million, which is tied with Jason Zucker for seventh-highest on the Sabres.
However, there is a case to be made that Tuch is the third best player the Sabres have behind only Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. In each of the past five seasons, Tuch has had at least 59 points and this past season was second in goals with 36 and tied for fourth in points with 67.
The Sabres are trying to get a new deal done that will keep him in Buffalo for the long term because Tuch has become a key part of the team. However, that next contract is almost certainly going to come with a significant bump in AAV that will more accurately reflect his value to the team.
Zach Benson
Zach Benson has seen his role grow in this offense steadily over the past two seasons and with the departure of JJ Peterka could have the most opportunity he has had in his career. He is a player who has a chance to end up on the top line with Tage Thompson and if that does happen he should finish well above his career-high in points, which was 30 in 2023-24.
Unlike Tuch, this is not necessarily a guarantee as Benson hasn't had that breakout season yet but with an AAV under $1 million and the role he could play this season, he is a player who easily could outperform his current contract.
Jiri Kulich
Jiri Kulich is in a similar situation to Benson in that he has plenty of opportunity ahead of him this season and if he can seize a spot on that top line and deliver, this will be one of the biggest bargains the Buffalo Sabres have on their roster.
Last season was Kulich's first season as a full-time starter and he played in 62 games and had 15 goals and nine assists with an average ice time of 14:48. The ice time should jump if he plays alongside Thompson and if the production increases at a similar rate, the Sabres will be very happy to have a player at that level with an AAV of only $886,666.
Michael Kesselring
The Buffalo Sabres traded for Michael Kesselring this offseason and he currently has an AAV of $1.4 million and will be a restricted free agent next summer. He is expected this season to be paired with Owen Power and if he is on that second pair for the defense, that is great value for a player who has the third-lowest AAV among the defensemen.
Kesserling showed a lot last season with Utah in his first season playing 82 games. He finished with 29 points and an average ice time of 17:41 with a career high Corsi For % of 54.1. Even if he doesn't improve the stats from last season and has a similar stat line this season, he will be one of the players who will outperform his contract the most on the Buffalo Sabres in 2025-26.