The Buffalo Sabres have signed defenseman Vsevolod Komarov to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Thursday.
Buffalo selected Komarov during the fifth round (134th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft. The 19-year-old native of Chelyabinsk, Russia has spent the past two seasons playing for the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, with whom he captured a league championship last week.
Komarov and the Remparts will compete for the Memorial Cup, the top prize in the CHL, beginning Friday.
The 6-foot-2, right-shot defenseman had 39 points (12+27) in 62 games this season, then added eight points (1+7) in 18 games during Quebec's playoff run.
"When we saw him at rookie camp and development camp, we sort of thought that he was primarily a defender," Sabres director of player development Adam Mair said. "Which he is, and he's an excellent one. He's big, he's long, he's competitive, and strong in front of the net. But he's started to add some offense to his game in Quebec.
"They have a good team and he's a big part of what they're creating. He's been put on the power play. He's taken a big step this year in terms of his puck play and his offensive contributions."
Komarov is the fifth member of Buffalo's 2022 draft class to sign his entry-level contract, joining first-round forwards Matt Savoie, Noah Ostlund, and Jiri Kulich along with third-round forward Viktor Neuchev.
