Sabres sign Eichel to eight-year extension worth $80m

Jack Eichel will be in Buffalo for at least a decade after signing a lucrative contract extension with the Sabres.

On Tuesday, the Sabres announced they had signed the 20-year-old centre to an eight-year extension worth a total of $80million.

Eichel – the second overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft –has 48 goals and 65 assists in two seasons.

He was entering the final year of his initial three-year contract and would have been a restricted free agent at the end of this season.

That will no longer be the case as the Sabres will look to build around the Massachusetts native.

The Sabres fired both general manager Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma in April, replacing them with Jason Botterill and Phil Housley, respectively.

"He's a terrific talent," Housley said of Eichel in June when he was introduced as the team's new coach. "I want to get the most out of him."