Buffalo Sabres Re-Sign Pending Free Agent

Take one unrestricted free agent off the board. Set to enter the UFA market for the first time in seven years, Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo instead has re-signed in the Queen City on a one-year extension.

The Sabres announce they’ve re-signed Kyle Okposo to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. Their captain will be back in 2023-24.

— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) May 24, 2023

Coming off a 7-year, $42M contract — the largest free agent deal in Sabres history at the time — the 35-year-old will return to continue to add some much-needed veteran savvy to the young Buffalo squad. 

It's a one-year deal worth $2.5M. It also includes a $500,000 bonus for winning the Stanley Cup.

The Sabres will still be one of the youngest teams in the NHL next season, so Okposo's leadership will certainly still be needed. He's no longer the 20-goal scorer he has been on several occasions in his career (he's only reached that number once in his seven seasons in Buffalo), but his experience and the hard-working example he sets helped define the young Sabres style that led them to an impressive 91-point season as their rebuild entered new heights this year.

The intangibles are what Okposo brings now, as he finished the season with 28 points in 75 games, with 14:40 TOI per contest.

 Photo: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports