‘Why wait?’ | Contract extension a no-brainer for Doan, Sabres

MONTREAL, Quebec – Owen Power picked up the guys’ dinner tab Wednesday in Montreal, but Josh Doan figures to be doing plenty of that going forward.

The Sabres just signed the winger to a seven-year extension with an average annual value of $6.95 million, which keeps him under contract in Buffalo through the 2032-33 season.

Since arriving via trade in June, and more so as the team has emerged as a contender, Doan has viewed Buffalo as a long-term fit. Now, it’s official.

“It’s a huge honor that they put the trust in me to sign a deal long term like that,” he said after Thursday’s morning skate at Bell Centre. “… You can feel there’s an exciting young group that’s competitive, and any time you get a chance to be a part of a group like that, you want to make sure you are.”

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Doan, who turns 24 on Feb. 1, had been scheduled for restricted free agency this July, but with how he’s performed this season, his price tag was only going to keep rising. The third-year NHLer has blown past his previous career highs with 15 goals and 20 assists. He’s become a fixture on the Sabres’ top power-play unit, scoring five times there.

And with a league-leading 35 takeaways, he’s been an elite defensive forward who consistently wins puck battles and keeps the play moving in the right direction; with Doan on the ice at 5-on-5, Buffalo has outscored its opponents 37-30 with a 57-percent share of the expected goals (according to Natural Stat Trick).

“Why wait? We have a good one, we feel like he should be locked up,” said general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen. “We evaluate a lot more than just the points and what they do on the ice, but also what the character is like on and off the ice. He’s a great teammate. He sets a good example for our group (with) the way he works every day, and those are the type of guys that you want to get locked up as quickly as possible.”

Added coach Lindy Ruff: “We’ve seen what he’s done on the ice; I think his work speaks for itself. He’s on the puck, he plays the game the right way and he’ll be an important piece of this team for a long time.”

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After signing, Doan first called his mom, then his siblings, to share the good news. His dad, Shane, a retired NHL star and now a special advisor in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ front office, also called after hearing “through the grapevine” about his son’s big payday. Shane, who had 26 goals and 25 assists in his age-23 season, has to be thrilled with Josh’s career so far.

“Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Kekäläinen said. “I know his dad a little bit; you rarely meet a guy with more charisma and presence and character than Shane Doan, and he’s done a hell of a job as a parent, I can tell you that.”

That word, ‘character,’ kept coming up Thursday morning. It’s why Doan has fit so seamlessly into the Sabres’ room, and why, two years in a row, he’s quickly endeared himself to the fanbases in Utah and Buffalo.

It’s also why, with the Sabres battling for a playoff spot, he refused to be distracted by his contract status, instead letting his agent handle all the negotiations – even if waiting until the summer might’ve meant a larger payday.

“I wanted to make sure it got done and out of the way and we could focus on the back half of the year here,” Doan said. “… At the end of the day, it was something that we were all happy with, and I’m happy it’s done.”

Doan’s teammates are happy it’s done, too, if their stick taps at the end of Thursday’s morning skate were any indication.

“There’s an amazing group of guys here, and that’s something that I like to feed off: having fun at the rink and enjoying being at the rink,” he said.

“We’ve got something going right now.”