Brandon Saad Signs 6-Year Contract With Blue Jackets; Ryan O’Reilly Signs 7-Year Deal With Sabres

A pair of young NHL stars signed long-term contracts Friday.

Right winger Brandon Saad signed a six-year contract worth a reported $36 million with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in a multi-player trade earlier in the week.

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Veteran center Ryan O’Reilly also signed a seven-year deal worth a reported $52.5 million with the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres gave up multiple prospects and a 2015 second-round pick to acquire O’Reilly from the Colorado Avalanche last Friday.

The structure of O’Reilly’s contract is a bit unusual in that most of his yearly earnings are a signing bonus.

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The Blue Jackets and Sabres have improved quite a bit since the end of last season and are good candidates to make the Eastern Conference playoffs in the 2015-16 campaign.