Sabres sign second-round pick to entry-level deal

Wahlberg’s contract will come in at a cap hit of $896,667, although when factoring in performance bonuses, it comes to an average annual value of $950,000. He could receive up to $80,000 in performance bonuses in the first two years of his contract. With it being an entry-level deal, it is a two-way contract, so Wahlberg’s AHL salary will only be $82,500.

Wahlberg, 18, played most of his season in the Sweden J20 SuperElit league with Malmo Jr., where he had 14 goals, 13 assists, and 27 points in 32 games. He also played 17 games in the Swedish Hockey League with the Malmo Redhawks, where he had two goals, two assists, and four points.

Wahlberg was a second-round pick for the Sabres in the most recent draft in 2023, selected 39th overall. Wahlberg was 17 at the time of being selected and didn’t turn 18 until July 4, so he was ineligible to sign an entry-level deal until after that.

Daily Faceoff’s prospect expert Steven Ellis had this to say about Wahlberg in his mock draft released in June:

“Standing tall at 6-foot-3, Wahlberg was a C-rated prospect in the NHL’s initial Central Scouting Rankings. Now? I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go in the first round. He had an impressive season against men with Malmo to help the team avoid relegation. Wahlberg then closed the year out by helping Sweden win silver as one of the team’s most valuable forward threats. He’s a good skater for a prospect his size and works hard, hits hard and wins a ton of battles along the boards. Teams will appreciate his work ethic.“

Wahlberg is the second signing of the day for the Sabres, also extending winger Brett Murray. It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for the Sabres, mostly just adding defensemen Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson, as well as extending center Tyson Jost. They have just over $6.7 million cap space now with the extensions to Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens, and Mattias Samuelsson all beginning this season.