Sabres sign Zach Benson to 7-year deal, trade Alex Tuch

The Buffalo Sabres have locked up a key young forward while parting ways with a veteran scorer in a series of moves reshaping the team's roster ahead of the NHL Draft. On Wednesday, the Sabres announced a seven-year contract extension for 21-year-old winger Zach Benson, a deal that carries an average annual value of $7.5 million and runs through the 2032-33 season.

The same day, the team completed a sign-and-trade deal sending veteran forward Alex Tuch to the Washington Capitals. As part of the transaction, the Sabres first signed Tuch to an eight-year, $84 million contract before trading him to Washington. In return, Buffalo acquired 31-year-old center David Kampf and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Tuch, a 30-year-old unrestricted free agent, was coming off a season where he scored 33 goals and added 33 assists for 66 points, helping the Sabres end a 14-year playoff drought. He had spent five seasons in Buffalo after arriving in the 2021 trade that sent Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights. General Manager Jarmo Kekäläinen said there had been no progress in contract talks with Tuch, making the sign-and-trade a path to recoup some value. The structure allowed Tuch...