The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed defenseman Henri Jokiharju to a one-year contract worth $3.1 million, the team announced Friday.
Jokiharju was a restricted free agent and the agreement allowed him to avoid salary arbitration. The NHL Players’ Association announced later Friday that goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and newly acquired forward Beck Malenstyn have elected to go to arbitration. Both are also RFAs. Center Peyton Krebs did not elect arbitration.
Jokiharju, 25, had three goals and 17 assists in 74 games for the Sabres last season. His 20 points were a career high as was a plus-14 rating that led the team.
Jokiharju’s contract status led many to wonder if the Sabres would trade him during this offseason but he has big value for the Sabres as a right-shot defenseman on a team overloaded with lefties.
People are also reading…
During locker cleanout day in April, Jokiharju said he understood that he might be moved but he has been a reliable piece of Buffalo’s back end since being acquired from Chicago for Alex Nylander in 2019.
“I’ll be more than happy to continue playing here,” Jokiharju said. “I think that’s how I look at it, but this is business, so we’ll see what happens.”
The business call saw the Sabres give Jokiharju a raise from the $2.5 million cap hit he carried the last three seasons. That was the result of the three-year, $7.5 million-deal he signed with the club in September 2021.