Buffalo Sabres Nearing Extension With Zach Benson

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Buffalo Sabres Nearing Extension With Zach Benson

Originally posted on Pro Hockey Rumors
By Brennan McClain | Last updated Jun 19, 2026 2:45 PM ET

According to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, the Buffalo Sabres are working toward an extension with forward Zach Benson. Weekes indicated that it’s likely to be a seven-year agreement, and could be identical to the one they signed with Josh Doan in January.

Benson, 20, was drafted with the 13th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft and surprisingly made the Sabres roster the following season. He had a quality rookie campaign, scoring 11 goals and 30 points in 71 games while averaging 14:31 of ice time per game.

Unfortunately, Benson didn’t take a meaningful step forward during his sophomore campaign, which raised some concerns about his long-term spot with the organization. He actually scored fewer points in more games, finishing with 10 goals and 28 points in 75 appearances. He had much better possession metrics, but his defensive metrics took a step back. There was some worry that Benson would be a productive middle-six winger rather than the top-six one the team believed he would be when they drafted him.

All those worries evaporated this past season. Benson’s offensive game was much better, registering 13 goals and 43 points in 65 games. Had he not lost a handful of games to injury and had managed the same scoring pace across an entire season, Benson would have finished with approximately 54 points, a few ahead of Doan.

Not only did Benson’s offensive game take a step forward, but his play on the defensive side of the puck also improved. Buffalo wasn’t the best possession team this year, but Benson had the highest CorsiFor% and on-ice SV% at even strength, which isn’t typical for wingers.

There’s an argument to be made that among forwards, Benson is the Sabres most complete player, which obviously has immense value. If the new extension is identical to the seven-year, $48.65MM agreement Doan signed, that would give the Sabres a pair of top-six wingers for relatively affordable contracts.

By year two of their deals, assuming the upper limit of the salary cap reaches $113.5MM, Doan and Benson will only account for 12% of Buffalo’s available cap room. For context, a contract for 6% of the salary cap this past season would have been approximately $5.7MM. There is little doubt that either Doan or Benson would be worth the price during the 2025-26 season. If they continue to develop as expected, these contracts could look increasingly favorable over time.

This article first appeared on Pro Hockey Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

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