The Buffalo Sabres will have their No. 1 defenseman in the lineup for opening night.
Rasmus Ristolainen has agreed to terms on a six-year contract extension with the club, putting an end to his restricted free-agent status. The blue-liner will earn $5.4 million annually, which values the total agreement at $32.4 million, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.
Ristolainen is now the club's highest-paid defenseman, and will earn more than everyone on the roster save for recent high-profile additions Ryan O'Reilly and Kyle Okposo.
The 21-year-old received the same contract that Seth Jones - a worthy comparable in terms of age, ability, and ceiling - signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets in June.
Ristolainen bounced back after a difficult second season with an encouraging third, scoring nine goals, posting 41 points, and improving his previously woeful underlying numbers. He's still a work in progress, and will be playing up to his contract value, but has shown signs of growing into a legitimate, perhaps dominant, top-pairing defenseman.
Ristolainen was skating with the team as the sides worked to hammer out a deal, so getting him up to speed for the Sabres' opener Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens will not be a concern.
