Noah Östlund Signs Eight-Year, $52.8 Million Extension With Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres have signed Noah Ostlund to an eight-year, $52.8 million contract extension after his first full NHL season.
The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Noah Östlund to an eight-year contract extension, the team announced on Monday. The 22-year-old forward is coming off his first full season in the NHL and has now secured his future with Buffalo. Östlund entered the NHL after being selected in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft and became a regular in the Sabres' lineup last season. The team has now decided to commit to him for the long term after seeing what he can bring. Östlund will remain with Buffalo as he looks to build on his first NHL season.
Noah Ostlund Gets Long-Term Deal From Buffalo Sabres
Ostlund's new contract is worth $52.8 million and carries an average annual value of $6.6 million. The deal begins next season and runs for eight years. He had one season remaining on his three-year entry-level contract, which he signed in July 2022.
EIGHT MORE YEARS OF OSTY‼️
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) September 14, 2026
We have signed Noah Ostlund to an eight-year contract extension with an AAV of $6.6 million.
Details → https://t.co/13eWYuJYum pic.twitter.com/lNKGnESDVO
The Sabres moved quickly to get the deal done while eight-year extensions are still allowed under the current collective bargaining agreement. The new CBA takes effect Tuesday and will reduce the maximum contract length to seven years.
Buffalo has been impressed with Östlund since selecting him No. 16 overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. Sabres assistant general manager Jerry Forton praised his competitiveness and hockey sense, comparing some parts of his game to Jake Guentzel.
“He's always been very good at scoring in tight and around the net, a little bit like a poor man's Jake Guentzel in that regard,” Forton said. “We view Noah as a pure center and more of a distributor and pass-first guy.”
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff also praised Östlund earlier this year for his defensive awareness. “He's a coach's dream, because those are the type of players you don't really have to coach,” Ruff said.
Noah Ostlund's NHL Stats Show Why Sabres Believe In Him
Ostlund played 60 regular-season games last season and finished with 11 goals and 16 assists. He averaged 13:58 of ice time and had a plus-10 even-strength goal differential, which ranked fourth among NHL rookie forwards.
The 22-year-old still has areas to improve. He won just 31 percent of his faceoffs last season, and the Sabres will want to see him get stronger if he is going to stay at center long-term.
Östlund also appeared in three playoff games against the Boston Bruins, recording one goal and one assist before suffering a lower-body injury. Across 68 NHL games over two seasons, he has 27 points, with 11 goals and 16 assists.