NHL analyst says Sabres' Josh Doan 'needs Selke votes' amid breakout season

It was clear Josh Doan possessed serious untapped potential when the Buffalo Sabres acquired him in the blockbuster JJ Peterka trade with the Utah Mammoth over the summer, but even the most optimistic projections didn't see the winger becoming a two-way force this quickly.

Doan has already established a new career-high point total with 32 (14 goals and 18 assists) across his first 45 appearances for the Sabres. Yet his relentless compete level defensively, as evidenced by his terrific plus-3.2 defense rating at 5-on-5 (via HockeyViz), has arguably been more impressive.

Neil Pierre-Louis of Pierre Analytics believes the 23-year-old Arizona native deserves a place in the NHL's Selke Trophy conversation:

It's hard to argue with that stance.

Twice in the past three games Doan has forced a turnover leading directly to a Sabres goal.

Against the Anaheim Ducks, the 6-foot-1 forward stick-checked an opponent near the blue line, which led to a loose puck that was picked up by Peyton Krebs, who delivered a perfect pass to Tage Thompson for a tap-in goal.

Then on Wednesday night, Doan stole a Philadelphia Flyers pass in the neutral zone and started a sequence that finished with Mattias Samuelsson lighting the lamp.

Those are highlight-reel examples of the endless motor he's showcased since the day he arrived to Buffalo in a trade that looks better for the Sabres with each passing day.

Josh Doan is trending toward a massive payday from the Buffalo Sabres with his next contract extension

Doan's outstanding play, which includes four power-play goals for a special-teams unit that's otherwise struggled for extended stretches, is the good news.

The bad news, at least from a financial perspective? The 2021 second-round draft pick is an impending restricted free agent, and the contract numbers he can command are steadily rising.

Doan can't become an unrestricted free agent until 2029, per PuckPedia, so there isn't any imminent risk of losing him to the open market. His emergence as a foundational piece of the roster does put pressure on the front office to make a decision about his future, though.

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen needs to decide whether to commit to an eight-year contract for the rapidly improving winger now, or whether a wait-and-see approach is the better route.

Doan recently made it known to Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic he envisions staying in Buffalo for the long haul.

"I want to be here. That's something me and my agency and my family have made clear," Doan said. "I want to be in Buffalo, and I want to play here. The support I've gotten since I got here has been amazing. I laugh with my family, where my old man [former NHL All-Star Shane Doan] didn't leave where he was once, and I've been on my way three times now. It's something at the end of the day, though, I do want to be in one place and grow with a group. I think this is the group to do it with. We have a lot of fun and young guys here."

Those words as a breath of fresh air for Sabres fans, who've watched countless key players depart Buffalo during the 14-year playoff drought only to live their best hockey life elsewhere.

Yes, there are risks associated with signing young players to long-term contracts, especially when they're in the midst of producing a career-best year.

Former Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams got burned a few times by doing so, most notably with Dylan Cozens and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, though UPL's recent resurgence is making his contract look like less of a burden if his improved play continues.

Kekalainen can't operate with the same fear of commitment that Adams did after those mistakes. If he truly believes in a player, and there's no reason to believe Doan's results aren't repeatable, it's always best to sign him ASAP because the asking price typically keeps going up.

Ultimately, Doan probably won't end up winning the Selke Trophy. Coincidentally, former Sabres star Sam Reinhart is one of the award's top contenders while also on pace for 44 goals. But the Blue and Gold winger certainly deserves a mention as part of the discussion.

Buffalo will need him to maintain his tremendous level of play at both ends of the ice as it attempts to end the franchise's far-too-long postseason absence.