Buffalo Sabres GM Working on 2 Huge Contract Extensions

The Buffalo Sabres could surprise a lot of people this season as they look to move on from rebuilding the Jack Eichel era to now enjoying the Tage Thompson era. GM Kevyn Adams has a ton of talented players on his roster in Buffalo and two of their defensemen specifically he's looking to lock up.

Insert Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, two former top picks who have a ton of things in common including the need for a long-term contract extension. Both d-men are considered franchise pillars and will be mainstays among the Sabres' top four for years to come.

Adams had this to say to Lance Lysowki of Buffalo News on the upcoming extensions:

The key takeaways are that I've explained to their camps and to them individually how important they are to this franchise and how we feel about them, and we want them here long term and just that kind of conversation. They've clearly indicated to me and to us that this is where they want to be, and they believe in this team, and they believe in the direction we're headed. So, that's the start, and then you work from there. These are not easy to get done. They're critically important for both sides, and we need to ensure they're right. It needs to be right for both sides. (Dahlin and Power are) both to me critically important pieces of the puzzle moving forward. And they're guys that can play 25-plus minutes, every situation. And I just think the way the league is right now, if you can really have defensemen like that, that can play the minutes they play in the situations they play, the way the transition game and speed of the game is going, I just think it's critical.

Cap space isn't an issue so expect some mega deals for max term to come out of the discussions. Power is entering his second season after a rookie campaign which saw him record 35 points in 79 games. Dahlin's extension will come in a bit pricier based on his service time and production and expect to see the first overall pick from the 2018 NHL entry draft get paid handsomely early on this season.

Photo credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports