Zemgus Girgensons contract: How much is the Latvian Locomotive new contract worth with Buffalo Sabres?

Zemgus Girgensons, a center who is one of the team's most important leaders, has agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with Buffalo Sabres. Girgensons, the Sabres player with the longest tenure will remain for another campaign.

Girgensons earned a little increase from his $2.2 million cap cost over the previous three seasons when he would have become eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1.

Kevyn Adams, the general manager, wanted Girgensons to return for another year. In addition to being one of their greatest defensive forwards, Girgensons is a well-respected leader and a key player in the improvement of the environment in the team's locker room.

But unlike other clubs that could have signed Girgensons to a multi-year deal on the free market, the Sabres were unable to do so.

Their prospect pool is chock full of gifted players, including Tyson Kozak, a center who may have NHL potential similar to that of Girgensons, who was selected in the first round 11 years ago.

The 29-year-old signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Sabres on Tuesday to stay in Buffalo and avoid becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after considering the offer and informing the team of his choice.

---

Zemgus Girgensons has been a valuable player for the Sabres

Zemgus Girgensons #28 of the Buffalo Sabres

Zemgus Girgensons, 28, has played in 625 games for the Sabres, scoring 81 goals and accruing 174 points. His comeback helps the Sabres out of a potential jam.

In 70 games as a rookie in 2013–14, Girgensons collected 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists).

He followed that up the next year with 30 points (15 goals, 15 assists) in 61 games. After receiving a League-high 1,574,896 votes, he was selected for the 2015 NHL All-Star Game.

Girgensons became a mainstay on the Sabres' penalty kill in each of the four seasons that followed, leading Buffalo forwards in time on the ice while shorthanded in 2018-19 and 2019-20, when he scored 12 goals before the season was suspended on March 12 due to concerns about the coronavirus.

He also scored 10 goals for the third straight season, and he is one of their most reliable penalty-takers. He played in at least 80 games in a season for the first time in his NHL career. During the 2022–23 season, the 29-year-old recorded 10 goals, 18 points, and 96 points in 80 games.

Adams intended to seek a candidate with a comparable skill set if Girgensons decided to become an unrestricted free agency. There were a few teams who were on the lookout for him: Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, and the New Jersey Devils

However, players of that caliber are signing multi-year deals on the free market, and Buffalo doesn't want to prevent its prospects from joining the NHL soon. Hence, the importance of Zemgus Girgensons to the team. They intend to go to the Stanley Cup playoffs and Girgensons is very important for that.