The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward prospect Anton Wahlberg to a three-year, entry-level contract and re-signed Brett Murray to a one-year, two-way contract.
The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward prospect Anton Wahlberg to a three-year, entry-level contract and re-signed Brett Murray to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 at the NHL level, the team announced Friday.
The Sabres selected Wahlberg, 18, in the second round (No. 39) of the 2023 NHL Draft, held last month in Nashville. He participated in the team’s development camp last week.
Wahlberg (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) had 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) in 32 games with the Malmo Redhawks junior team and had four points (two goals, two assists) in 17 games with the men’s team in the SHL.
“It’s the big thing I want to do in Sweden, contribute on the highest level, but to do that was cool,” he said of playing at the senior level. “It was just fun to do that. It helped me a lot to get more experience (as a) center and I’m really happy with that.”
He also had three goals and six points in seven games at the World Under-18 championship.
“He's a kid that rises in the big moments,” Sabres director of amateur scouting Jerry Forton said at the conclusion of the draft. “Not a perfect player yet, some inconsistency. Talented, fast, very skilled around the net. A hard player. You need it all to come together, but it's a special package.”
Wahlberg said at the draft he has one year remaining on his contract in Sweden.
Murray, 24, set career highs across the board last season with the Rochester Americans, with 23 goals and 26 assists for 49 points in 71 games. His points total ranked third on the team while he finished second in goals behind rookie Jiri Kulich (24). Murray added 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 14 games in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The 6-foot-5, 228-pound forward has appeared in 21 games with the Sabres, recording two goals and four assists. Buffalo selected him in the fourth round (No. 99) of the 2016 NHL Draft.
With Murray re-signed, Linus Weissbach is the Sabres’ lone remaining restricted free agent.