Zach Benson Contract Projections Set Sabres Timeline

Zach Benson recorded 43 points in 65 games during the 2025-26 season while playing a defensive role for the Buffalo Sabres.

Benson’s Production Validates Early Extension

Benson finished the regular season with 13 goals and 30 assists in 65 games, posting a plus-27 rating at age 21. Those totals arrived in a more defensive deployment than top-line forwards typically receive. The Sabres’ general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen has identified the forward as a priority ahead of other restricted free agents.

AFP Analytics projections place a seven-year extension at $48.83 million, or $6.98 million AAV. A shorter bridge deal would average $4.195 million over two years. The longer term keeps Benson under contract until age 28, when he would hit unrestricted free agency.

The NHL salary cap stands at $104 million for 2026-27 and is projected to reach $113.5 million in 2027-28. By 2028-29 the figure climbs to $123 million. Signing now fixes the AAV before those increases widen the gap between current and future market rates.

Kekäläinen has emphasized that Benson represents a core piece whose two-way game and physicality continue to develop. Delaying risks an offer sheet from another club or a larger raise once the cap expands further.

Offer-Sheet Risk and Cap Dynamics

The same projections that favor a long-term deal also highlight why Buffalo must act before other teams test the market. Benson’s 43 points in limited offensive minutes already exceed several comparable restricted free agents who later commanded higher AAVs.

A two-year bridge would return Benson to restricted free agency at age 23, coinciding with the $123 million cap. At that point his next contract could exceed $9 million annually if production trends continue.

Sabres management has signaled willingness to negotiate early extensions for key young players. Benson’s entry-level deal carried a $950,000 cap hit through 2025-26, creating substantial room under the current ceiling for a substantial raise.

Historical Precedent for Young Extensions

Several forwards who signed second contracts at 21 later proved the value of securing talent before unrestricted free agency. Those deals locked in mid-seven-figure AAVs that later appeared modest once the cap rose.

Benson’s combination of 43 regular-season points and playoff contributions of five goals and four assists in 13 games strengthens the case for commitment now. The Sabres avoid both the bridge-year uncertainty and the escalation that accompanies a delayed negotiation.

The choice between $6.98 million AAV for seven years and a shorter bridge therefore carries direct consequences for Buffalo’s future cap flexibility and roster stability.