Buffalo Sabres 2025-26 Player Grades: Josh Doan

Though it ended in disappointment, the 2025-26 season can seen as nothing but a major win for the Buffalo Sabres. Ending a 15-year playoff drought and winning a series over their rivals, the Boston Bruins, is better than anything the team or city could have hoped for.

In this series, we will assign grades to each individual player. Today, we will be looking at one of the most impactful Sabres from this past season from the moment he arrived, earning himself an extension in the process: Josh Doan.

Production

When Doan was acquired in the J.J. Peterka trade, he was thought to be a throw-in of sorts. Insiders talked about his hard work and underlying metrics as reasons to be excited, but no one could have foreseen the kind of impact that Doan would have.

He broke out in every sense, becoming a real driver for the Sabres. He played a career-high 82 games, hitting bests in goals (25), assists (27), and points (52), all of them by a mile. He played an average of 15:52 per night, his tenacious forecheck becoming his calling card.

Intangibles

There are a few members of the Sabres who deliver more than what we see on the score sheet. Sure, some of that can be quantified with underlying metrics, especially when your team controls the lion’s share of goals and shots when you are on the ice (and the Sabres did with Doan on the ice).

He doesn’t play with overwhelming physicality, but his tenacity on the forecheck was a major difference-maker for the Sabres. Clip after clip can be seen in which he pesters a defenseman, outright picks their pocket, and creates chances and offense directly thereafter.

Overall Grade: A

What more could one possibly ask of the 23-year-old winger? He came in after a very brief bottom-six stint with the Utah Mammoth and became a legitimate top-six forward. He still has his best days ahead of him and the chemistry he has shown with fellow pest Zach Benson has been incredible.

If he can trend up a little more and put up the kind of numbers Alex Tuch achieved last season – 33 goals, 66 points – he would be the kind of elite second-line winger that teams salivate over. The future is bright for Doan as a Sabres and he already a beloved member of the team.

On to Greener Pastures?

The Sabres are now potentially buyers for the first time in may offseasons, partly because of Doan’s impact. With the team likely moving on from Tuch, they will be leaning more heavily on youngsters like Doan to continue trending in the right direction in their development.

Doan has the style of play and natural leadership skills to become a centerpiece in Buffalo. He won’t ever be an elite scorer but will be a heart-and-soul type of player who means far more to the city and team than any outsider could understand.