The Buffalo Sabres have a potentially significant headache to deal with this season. After coming off an impressive campaign a year ago, Buffalo is entering the 2026-27 season with high hopes. While Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram are now gone, Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen has added some quality pieces to his roster.
The exec also re-signed budding stars Noah Ostlund and Zach Benson to new deals. Extending these young key players is crucial for Kekäläinen and the Sabres. The next budding star in need of a new deal is Jack Quinn. Buffalo previously rewarded the forward with a two-year, $6.75 million ($3.37 million AAV) contract in 2025. As a result, he will be a restricted free agent after the current campaign.
The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn is now predicting that Quinn’s next contract may reach $8 million AAV. Due to an increasing NHL salary cap, players are quickly receiving massive new deals. Nevertheless, the reporter is unsure if the Buffalo Sabres are willing to meet this potential asking price. “If [Quinn] can improve on his 20-goal season from last 2025-26, his next salary could be in the $8 million range,” predicts Fairburn.
“I think Quinn can be a key player for the Sabres this season. I also think this contract situation is tricky enough to drag out into the summer. Jarmo Kekäläinen has shown he won’t hesitate to extend contracts any time of year once he feels a player is part of Buffalo’s core. It’s not yet clear if Quinn fits that description.”
Buffalo Sabres Have Funds to Reward Jack Quinn With New Contract
As Fairburn alluded to, Quinn reached 20 goals during the previous campaign. The forward also added 31 assists on the season. Both figures were fifth-best among Buffalo Sabres players, as well as career highs for the youngster. Now 25, the winger is clearly turning into a fairly important player for Kekäläinen and head coach Lindy Ruff. He could also be set to take another big step in his NHL career.
Fairburn recently claimed that Quinn was arguably Buffalo’s best player on the ice during a preseason scrimmage. At the time, the budding star and Ruff both admitted that the forward could have reached 30+ goals a season ago. Quinn also acknowledged his uncertain future with the Sabres. According to the youngster, however, he “would love” to sign a long-term extension with his current club.
According to PuckPedia.com, the Buffalo Sabres could reward Quinn with a substantial raise. Kekäläinen only has around $1.5 million in projected cap space to work with at the moment. Nevertheless, this figure jumps to over $28 million next summer. Buffalo, however, could have seven roster spots to fill with these funds.
Buffalo Expected to See How Winger Fares This Season
Ultimately, the Buffalo Sabres will likely be patient regarding Quinn. Although the forward has looked extremely promising during the preseason, the regular season and playoffs are what count. The winger is projected to feature on Buffalo’s second line alongside Benson and Ostlund. The Sabres start their 2026-27 campaign against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, October 1.
Sabres Star Projected to Receive $8 Million AAV Contract Offer