Sabres re-sign Henri Jokiharju to one-year, $3.1 million contract

Buffalo, NY (WGR 550) – The Buffalo Sabres are bringing back a key depth piece on the blue line for another season.

The team announced on Friday the signing of defenseman Henri Jokiharju to a one-year, $3.1 million contract. He was a restricted free agent this offseason.

Jokiharju has been with the Sabres since 2019, playing in 309 games, while putting up 16 goals and 75 points.

This past season in Buffalo was, arguably, Jokiharju's most consistent season in the league, playing in 74 games while scoring three goals and adding 17 assists for 20 points. He also produced well defensively with 106 blocked shots, 18 takeaways and 92 hits, while also registering a +14 rating in 18:59 of average ice-time.

The 25-year-old was originally a first-round pick (29th overall) of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2017 NHL Draft. After playing 38 games in his rookie 2018-19 season with the Blackhawks, Jokiharju was traded to the Sabres in a 1-for-1 deal for forward Alex Nylander.