The Buffalo Sabres are coming off a highly disappointing 2024-25 season where they missed the playoffs by 12 points, which further increased frustration within the fanbase. At least from a contract situation, however, the organization is in a solid spot moving forward.
Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic released his annual NHL contract efficiency rankings on Wednesday. The Sabres ranked 16th overall for 2025, a slight improvement from 18th last year, and received a B grade thanks to an estimated surplus of $19 million in value.
"What the Sabres need now is for their defense to round into form," Luszczyszyn wrote. "Mattias Samuelsson needs to stay healthy and get back to the player he was two years ago, Bowen Byram needs to clean things up without the puck and, most importantly, Owen Power needs to take a sizable step forward."
Let's take a closer look at Buffalo's contract data from The Athletic.
Sabres' best contracts
Rasmus Dahlin (A+; eight years, $88 million)
Tage Thompson (A; seven years, $50 million)
Having your two best players signed to team-friendly contracts is a great foundation.
Dahlin has firmly established himself as one of the NHL's most productive defenseman, and he may even be considered the league's best player at the position if he played on a better team. His two-way impact is incredible given the limited talent around him on Buffalo's defensive corps.
Thompson was a late bloomer who developed into a lethal scorer. Hitting 50 goals this season is within reach, especially if the Sabres can find a consistent No. 1 center, whether it be a healthy Josh Norris or potential breakout star Jiri Kulich.
Part of Buffalo's problem is the lack of high-impact players beyond that duo, though. Alex Tuch is a valuable piece and it's possible Zach Benson or Owen Power takes their game to another level, but for now the Sabres are limited in terms of true game-changers.
Sabres' worst contracts
Josh Norris (C-; eight years, $63.6 million)
Owen Power (C-; seven years, $58.5 million)
Jordan Greenway (C-; two years, $8 million)
The good news for the Sabres is that two players on this list, Norris and Power, are undoubtedly capable of making their contracts look less like a boat anchor by season's end.
Norris was acquired in the blockbuster Dylan Cozens trade ahead of last season's trade deadline. He's dealt with a constant stream of injuries, but he scored 35 goals in 66 games during the 2021-22 season with the Ottawa Senators to showcase his offensive upside when healthy.
Power has shown flashes of living up to the hype that accompanied him when he was selected first overall in the 2021 draft, but he's been highly inconsistent. The Sabres will hope the acquisition of Michael Kesselring can finally provide the Canadian defenseman with a more reliable partner to help elevate his game.
The same hope of upside doesn't really exist with Greenway. He's been a below-replacement-level player throughout his career and also carries the injury-prone label. It's baffling Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams felt the need to give him a two-year extension last season.
What it means for Buffalo in the future
All told, the Sabres are in an enviable spot from a contract perspective. The players locked into long-term deals are all important pieces, aside from perhaps Mattias Samuelsson if he fails to bounce back, and that gives the front office plenty of financial flexibility.
As always, however, the question is whether they'll take advantage of it.
Buffalo has made a habit of not spending to the salary cap in recent years. Although Adams has denied there's any form of internal cap being imposed by team owner Terry Pegula, the lack of spending is a concern for a franchise that should be desperate to end a 14-year playoff drought.
That said, if the Sabres eventually weaponize their additional cap space, having players like Dahlin and Thompson becoming more valuable on a yearly basis as the cap rises provides a big boost in terms of building a more well-rounded roster.
It appears like Buffalo sports fans will have to wait until at least 2026-27 for that to happen, though.