After going over the best contracts the Buffalo Sabres have on the books for the 2025-26 season, it’s time to take a look at the deals that deserve more criticism. Being an NHL general manager means finding the right value for each player, a task that has an imperfect process.
The Sabres’ recent additions will likely have new deals that may fall on this list next season, but for now, the names below are the worst values the team has on the books. Term, length, and production are all key factors when evaluating which deals are good and which are not.
Josh Norris – 8 Years, $63.60 Million ($7.95 Million AAV)
By now, the trade that sent Dylan Cozens to the Ottawa Senators and brought back Josh Norris has been covered ad nauseam. The single biggest reason that Norris and his deal land on this list is because of his long and troubling injury history.
On paper, the trade felt largely like a lateral move for both teams. Norris grades slightly better defensively and has a 35-goal season to his credit. Cozens has all the makings of a reliable two-way center, but ultimately needed to get out of Buffalo to have a chance to thrive.
When he’s on the ice, Norris is a strong player and could be the borderline number-one center the Sabres have been looking for. For the moment, however, he is a high-priced risk with enough of an injury history that Sabres management and fans should both be worried.
Mattias Samuelsson – 7 Years, $30 Million ($4.29 Million AAV)
There may be no more hated man on the current roster than Mattias Samuelsson. When his contract was signed, both fans and management felt that they were getting a physical, defensively sound young defender who would be a fixture in the top four at a more than reasonable price.
Related: How the Sabres Stack Up Against the Atlantic Division in 2025-26
Instead, Samuelsson has continued to deal with injuries and poor play. Though he did play in a career-high 62 games in 2024-25, Samuelsson was derided for sloppy defensive play and a lack of physicality compared to other seasons.
At 25 years old, Samuelsson still has a chance to turn it around. Perhaps being solidly in a third-pairing role is what he needs so that he can focus on the strengths of his game without having to play tougher minutes. The first step should be just to try to appear in more than 70 games, but that feels like a pipe dream.
Jordan Greenway – 2 Years, $8 Million ($4 Million AAV)
Jordan Greenway is perhaps one of the most baffling Sabres to understand. At times, his size and speed are very apparent, making him a fierce forechecker capable of changing the momentum of a shift. Unfortunately, he’s far too inconsistent to do that on a regular basis.
For his skill set and contribution level, $4 million per season is far too much to be paying a guy who isn’t at least a guaranteed third liner. Like Samuelsson, he has also had trouble with injuries, suiting up in no more than 67 games since his rookie season in 2018-19.
At 28 years old, it seems likely that Greenway has hit his ceiling. The tools are there, but they aren’t going to come together as many hoped. He can be a solid fourth-line presence, but not at his price tag and not with his inability to stay in the lineup.
Adams Has Done Well with Contracts (for the Most Part)
GM Kevyn Adams catches a lot of flack and rightfully so. That said, he has a pretty good history when it comes to contracts. Tage Thompson may be on the best deal in the NHL, Ryan McLeod making $5 million with the potential to be the team’s true No. 2 center could become a steal, and Alex Tuch is entering the final year of a team-friendly deal.
Adams has shown a penchant for navigating contract negotiations fairly well and will have his work cut out for him with the need to re-sign Tuch, Zach Benson, and Michael Kesslering next summer. Getting value is something Adams has done well. Leveraging that value is another thing.
