Sabres Sign Zach Metsa To Extension
Another year of Mets! ⚔️
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) September 4, 2026
We have signed Zach Metsa to a one-year contract extension with an AAV of $900,000.
Details → https://t.co/J4HzCcu6Bu pic.twitter.com/mDNC7aTPQc
It's a one-way deal for the 27-year-old undrafted d-man. The new extension is for the 2027-28 season as he still has one more year to run on a two-year, $850K deal.
Metsa finished the season playing 43 games for the Sabres, as the undersized blueliner plays a reliable, intelligent game and was a dependable depth option. He excels at moving the puck out of the zone with crisp passes, and generally makes very few mistakes.
While he recorded only six points, he registered an impressive plus/minus rating of +16, which was the best among NHL defensemen with fewer than 600 minutes played last season. His underlying defensive metrics are excellent. He averaged 10:58 of ice time in each of his 43 games.
Metsa went undrafted out of college, but has worked his way up through the American Hockey League to finally earn himself a spot with the Sabres. He put up some strong assist numbers with the Rochester Americans over the past few years. He registered 13 assists and 15 points in 19 games this past season before spending the bulk of the last four months of the campaign up with the big club in a depth role.
The Sabres' defense has undergone some changes this season, with the subtraction of Bowen Byram, but the additions of Louis Crevier and Olen Zellweger.