The Buffalo Sabres have been negotiating with Rasmus Dahlin since July when the 23-year-old became eligible to sign a contract extension, and on Monday the club announced that they have signed the All-Star blueliner to an eight-year, $88 million extension ($11 million AAV).
"We worked hard at it over the summer, there was a lot of back and forth. There were times where we went to Toronto to his agent's office and at the draft in person. (It was) just a lot of honest dialogue and trying to understand each other." Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said. "This is a really exciting day for us. We are in a position where we have a player in the prime years that's committing to this organization for the max term and we know we have a player in Rasmus Dahlin that we think will continue to get better for at least the next nine years.
Dahlin, the top pick of the 2018 NHL Draft, scored a career-high 73 points (15 goals, 58 assists) in 78 games in his fifth season with the Sabres. There were indications that the big Swede wanted to stay in Buffalo and commit long-term to the club. There were hints at the Draft in Nashville in June that the two sides were on the verge of a max deal for over $10 million per season, but prior to training camp, there were indications that Dahlin's representatives preferred a shorter-term deal.
The deal will begin at the start of the 2024-25 season since Dahlin is in the final year of a three-year, $18 million bridge deal, but when it begins it will make him the second-highest-paid defenseman in the NHL behind three-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson.
According to Cap Friendly, the deal will pay Dahlin $13 million in year one with a $5 million signing bonus. In year two, a no-movement clause kicks in and for the rest of the contract, he is paid $12 million in 2025-26, $11 million from 2026 to 2029, and $10 million from 2030 to 2032 with no signing bonus.