Sabres avoid arbitration with McCabe, agree to 2-year, $5.7M deal

The Buffalo Sabres have avoided arbitration with Jake McCabe, agreeing to a two-year contract with the defenseman that carries an average annual value of $2.85 million, the team announced on Saturday.

McCabe was a restricted free agent and scheduled for a hearing on August 4 before the two sides reached a deal.

Buffalo drafted the 25-year-old in the second round (44th overall) in 2012. This past season, he appeared in 59 games, registering four goals and 10 assists while averaging just under 19 minutes per contest.