The Buffalo Sabres have signed defenseman Zach Metsa to a one-year contract extension worth $900,000.
Metsa, 27, is now under contract through the 2027-28 season. He received his first taste of NHL action last season, tallying six points (2+4) in 43 games with Buffalo. He also scored a goal in the playoffs against Montreal.
Metsa played alongside a rotating cast of defensemen – including time spent with Rasmus Dahlin – and helped fuel offense when he was on the ice. His plus-16 rating was the best among NHL defensemen with fewer than 600 minutes played last season.
His NHL breakthrough marked the culmination of years of steady progress. An unheralded college recruit, Metsa worked his way up to the captaincy and a national championship during his senior year at Quinnipiac University, then signed a two-year AHL contract with Rochester as an undrafted free agent.
Metsa led Rochester with 39 assists in 2024-25, prompting the Sabres to reward him with his first NHL contract last summer.
