Season in Review | Jacob Bryson

Every day through early May, Sabres.com will be recapping each player’s performance with all the numbers, highlights, quotations and content that tell the story of their 2024-25 season.

Jacob Bryson, D

48 GP | 0 G | 7 A | -9

• Read previous Season in Review profiles here

Season at a glance

Bryson was a full-time member of the NHL roster this season after splitting 2023-24 between Rochester and Buffalo, though it took time for him to crack the lineup.

Bryson was a healthy scratch for the first 11 games of the season before finally making his debut in Detroit on Nov. 2. He played the next 17 games, then sat for four of the following five contests. Such was the rhythm of his season as a seventh defenseman.

How he embraced that role – with a team-first mentality and ardent preparation – earned praise from coach Lindy Ruff and, in March, earned Bryson a one-year contract extension to remain in Buffalo through the 2025-26 season.

One stretch in particular encapsulated Bryson’s readiness, after he went nearly a month without a game due to the February break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. He returned to the lineup against Montreal on March 2 and had an assist, then added another helper the following game.

“It’s just nice going in there, I feel like nothing to lose, and just try to play my game,” he said at the time. “That’s what I try to always do when I get back in the lineup in those situations.”

Number to know: 6.56

Bryson was an effective member of the Sabres’ penalty kill while in the lineup. He was on the ice for an average of 6.56 goals against per 60 shorthanded minutes, the fifth-best mark on the team among regular penalty killers.

They said it

“He is one of the most well-liked guys in terms of the locker room and just his work ethic and positivity, it’s infectious and just how much he cares about the team and how much the guys care about him. When you’re in the role that he plays, that’s a key part of that. There’s times where he could be scratched for a number of games and sometimes guys get really miserable and bitter and it can hurt your team. Where he’s at right now in his career, he’s kind of one of those depth defensemen that can jump in and play. Or he may be out of the lineup. And he’s also proven that he can be scratched for an extended period of time and jump in and play good hockey.” – Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams on the decision to sign Bryson to a one-year contract extension.

What’s next

Bryson’s one-year extension keeps him in the fold through next season. He’s one of five returning defensemen under contract along with Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson, and Connor Clifton. (Bowen Byram and Jacob-Bernard Docker are scheduled to become restricted free agents, giving the Sabres priority should they match offer sheets given to either player by opposing teams.)