The Buffalo Sabres signed 21-year-old forward Zach Benson to a seven-year, $52.5 million deal, keeping him from becoming a restricted free agent.
Instead, Benson now is under contract through the 2032-33 season, the club announced Wednesday night.
In his third NHL season in 2025-26, Benson had a career-high 43 points (13 goals, 30 assists) in 65 games. Injuries caused him to miss 13 games at the start of the season.
After a 17-game drought, Benson scored his first goal of the season on Dec. 11, and in 48 games after that, he tallied 32 points (13 assists, 19 goals) with a plus-27 rating. He added five goals and four assists in 13 playoff games.
Selected by Buffalo in the first round (13th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft, Benson has appeared in 211 regular-season games and has 101 points (34 goals, 67 assists).
Last month, Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said bringing back Benson was a priority.
“I see him as a true core piece that fills all the boxes,” the GM said. “I can’t say enough good things about Zach Benson. He’s got skill, he’s got hockey sense, he’s got instincts, he’s relentless, he’s a competitor. What a great playoff he had and, again, I’m so excited about the level that he can get to, still.”
