Jack Quinn was the biggest standout throughout Buffalo Sabres training camp, and the 25-year-old winger has parlayed that into a terrific start to the new season with nine points (five goals and five assists) through the club's first nine games.
The No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft finally looks like the game-changing offensive force Buffalo expected when it selected him six years ago, which is a great sign for a team that was looking for a few players to step up after the offseason departure of Alex Tuch.
Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff is bullish about what comes next for Quinn:
"With increased usage and a line that's clearly working, Quinn looks ready to challenge for a 40-goal season. His underlying numbers are good, his confidence seems to be at a sky-high level, and he's making plays he has never made before. He's currently tracking for 47 goals this year; that'll change, but 40 feels like a realistic target for a guy with one of the best shots on the team."DFO's Steven Ellis on Sabres' Jack Quinn
It always felt like the Ontario native had another gear that would make him capable of scoring 30 goals, but a jump directly to 40 would be surprising despite his strong track record as a prospect.
Quinn scored 52 goals in 62 games during his final season with the OHL's Ottawa 67's, which helped him skyrocket up draft boards to ultimately become a top-10 choice.
The forward also showcased a lot of promise with the AHL's Rochester Americans, tallying 26 goals across 45 appearances in 2021-22 before making his arrival to Buffalo.
He flashed that impressive offensive skill set across his first four seasons with the Sabres, but he struggled with consistency and often gave back more defensively than he produced at the other end of the rink.
Quinn's compete level has ratcheted up exponentially this season, however, and it's made him a far more dependable contributor for head coach Lindy Ruff over the first month. His average ice time (19:34) is more than four minutes higher than his career average (15:03).
Now the question is whether he'll be able to maintain that level for all 84 games.
Jack Quinn is playing for a new contract as an impending restricted free agent
Contract values are exploding across the NHL thanks to a rapidly rising salary cap. That puts players like Quinn, who appear poised to produce breakthrough seasons ahead of free agency in position to secure massive raises.
Quinn, who's thriving on a line alongside Zach Benson and Noah Ostlund in the early going, is making a team-friendly $3.375 million in 2026-27.
He's already trending toward at least doubling that AAV with his next contract and there's a chance he could triple it if his push toward 40 goals materializes.
These situations are always a bit tricky for a franchise's top decision-maker. In this case, that's Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen.
Although Kekalainen's preference has been to sign young players to long-term extensions early, as he did with Josh Doan, Zach Benson and Noah Ostlund, that route is already starting to close with Quinn given the red-hot start.
Then the question becomes whether the team should instead sign the breakout player to a shorter-term contract to make sure the uptick in production is sustainable, or if a lucrative seven-year agreement is still the right play as the contracts continue to climb.
Sometimes the right answer is only available in hindsight down the road, but it's something the Sabres front office will probably spend the next handful of months debating.
Quinn is joined by Jiri Kulich and Colten Ellis as Buffalo's other notable RFAs for 2027.
In the meantime, the Sabres will hope the winger continues to take strides toward becoming a key foundational building block after years of questions about whether he was part of the team's future.
Buffalo is back in action Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.
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