After three years in New York's organization, Jake Leschyshyn has jumped ship and signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Buffalo Sabres. The 26-year-old forward has appeared in 77 NHL career games but last appeared in the big leagues with New York in 2023-24. He spent the entirety of last season with Hartford (AHL), where he had 13 goals and 24 points in 69 games played.
Mrtka was Buffalo's 2025 1st round pick (9th overall) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres on Tuesday. The 18-year-old Czech defenseman spent 2024-25 as an import player with Seattle (WHL), where he excelled with three goals and 35 points in 43 games played. He is expected to return to the Thunderbirds for the 2025-26 season but will get a chance to make an impression in training camp.
Despite being the talk of much trade speculation, Buffalo and Bowen Byram will avoid arbitration after they agreed on a two-year, $12.5 million contract extension ($6,250,000 AAV) on Monday. The 24-year-old is entering his 6th NHL season after completing all 82 regular season games for the first time in his career in 2024-25, putting up seven goals, 38 points and a +11 plus/minus.
Fiddler-Schultz is an undrafted 23-year-old forward and has earned himself a two-year, entry-level contract with Buffalo on Tuesday after a successful rookie campaign in Rochester (AHL) in 2024-25. The Edmonton native joined Buffalo's minor league system from Calgary (WHL) in 2023-24. In 51 games with Rochester in 2024-25, he had 13 goals and 26 points.
After putting up 70 points in 123 games played across the last two seasons with Rochester (AHL), Zach Metsa has earned himself a two-year, two-way contract to remain in Buffalo's organization. The 26-year-old defenseman is entering his third AHL season after joining Rochester as an undrafted free agent from Quinnipac University (NCAA) in 2022-23.
After five up-and-down seasons in New York that never consisted of more the 46 games played, Zac Jones has joined Buffalo on a one-year, two-way contract to provide some defensive depth. The 25-year-old defenseman posted career highs in games played (46), points (11), PIMs (24) and SOG (51) with New York last season. He should battle for the Sabres' final defensive spot out of training camp to start the season.
One season after putting up 21 points in 29 games played with San Diego (AHL), Carson Meyer has earned himself a two-year, $1.55 million contract ($775,000 AAV) with Buffalo. The 27-year-old last appeared in the NHL in 2023-24 but has two goals and six points in 41 career games played.
In his first season with the Buffalo Sabres in 2024-25, McLeod scored a career-high 53 points (20G / 33A) in 80 games. He returns to the Sabres on a four-year contract extension worth $5 million AAV. The 25-year-old McLeod will likely be relied upon for even more offensive production after the loss of JJ Peterka in the offseason.
Kozak made his NHL debut with the Sabres last season, scoring five points (3G / 2A) in 21 games. The 22-year-old Kozak was drafted in the seventh round in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the Sabres. He remains with the team on a three-year deal worth $775K AAV.
Danforth is an undrafted 32-year-old forward who did not make his NHL debut until the 2021-22 season, playing most of the three seasons since at the NHL level with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He scored 21 points (9G / 12A) in 61 games last season with the Blue Jackets.
Buffalo made its first move of Free Agency on Tuesday by bringing in backup goaltender Alex Lyon on a two-year, $3 million contract ($1.5 million AAV). The 32-year-old undrafted netminder had spent the last two seasons in Detroit, appearing in 70 games combined and had a 14-9-1 record, 2.81 GAA and .896 SV% last season.
Geersten was a fourth-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft but has been limited to only 25 NHL games, all with the New Jersey Devils in the 2021-22 season. The 30-year-old defenseman has spent the majority of his career in the AHL, including scoring five points (0G / 5A) in 31 games with the Henderson Silver Knights last season.
Just minutes before the Free Agency deadline, Buffalo has announced that they have extended 23-year-old defenseman Ryan Johnson to a three-year, $2.325 million contract extension ($775,000 AAV). Johnson only appeared in three games for the Sabres in 2024-25 but will provide some much-needed defensive depth heading into the 2025-26 season as he is expected to compete for a roster spot in training camp.
The 2020 No.8 overall pick had another decent, but unspectacular season in 2024-25, scoring 15 goals with 24 assists (39 points) in 74 games. He's now averaging 45 points (18G / 27A) per 82 games for his NHL career, so the Sabres signed him to a two-year bridge deal to see if he can unlock any more offence.
Two days before the NHL Draft, Buffalo has moved on from 23-year-old JJ Peterka by acquiring Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring on Wednesday night. Kesselring will join his third organization after being drafted by Edmonton in the sixth round of the 2018 draft (164th overall) and debuting with Arizona in 2022-23. The 25-year-old has the potential to be a top-four defenseman as shown by his seven goals, 29 points, 89 PIMs and 150 SOG in 82 GP with Utah in 2024-25.
After just 62 games with Utah and Arizona, Josh Doan has been acquired alongside Michael Kesselring by Buffalo for JJ Peterka on Wednesday. The 23-year-old right-winger was Arizona's 2021 2nd-round pick (37th overall) and made an impressive debut in 2023-24 with five goals and nine points in his first 11 games played. He struggled to find the same offensive spark last year, but still put up seven goals, 19 points and 88 SOG in 51 games played in his sophomore campaign.
Lyon will start the Red Wings' penultimate game of the 2024-25 season when they travel to New Jersey on Wednesday. Lyon picked up the victory in his last outing, allowing three goals on 21 shots in a 4-3 overtime win in Tampa Bay on Friday. The 32-year-old netminder owns a 13-9-1 record and an .895 SV% on the season. Lyon and the Red Wings enter action on Wednesday as slight favourites at -140 on the money line.
