The Buffalo Sabres and Ryan O’Reilly have agreed to a contract extension for the forward that was recently acquired in a trade with Colorado. The deal is worth $52.5M for a seven-year contract, giving him a cap hit of $7.5M per year.
O’Reilly has played six seasons in the NHL, all with the Avalanche, and has put up 246 points (90 goals, 156 assists) in 427 games. He’s also played in at least 74 games five of the six seasons.
“We’re happy to have Ryan locked up to a long-term deal. It’s not easy to find a player who, at his age, is already established in the league as someone who plays a complete game and makes his teammates better. When We acquired him, we viewed him as someone who could immediately improve our roster but was still young enough to make an impact for several years to come and this contract reflects that belief.” – General Manager Tim Murray
The 24-year-old and former 2nd round pick (33rd overall) is expected to make his Sabres debut in the season opener on October 8th vs. Ottawa.