ŠTRBÁK AGREES TO THREE-YEAR, ENTRY-LEVEL DEAL WITH SABRES
Defenseman was drafted by the Sabres during the 2nd round in 2023
Apr 1, 2026The Buffalo Sabres signed defenseman Maxim Štrbák to a three-year, entry-level contract on Wednesday. With the contract not beginning until the 2026-27 season, he will report to the Rochester Americans on an Amateur Tryout for the remainder of the current season.
Štrbák, 20, was selected in the second round (45th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft and played 102 games in three seasons at Michigan State.
Štrbák guided the Spartans to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and two Big Ten Championships. He recorded 46 points (8+38) with a plus-33 rating during his collegiate career.
“He’s a hard-to-play-against, shutdown defender, can skate really well,” Sabres development coach Tim Kennedy told Sabres.com last month. “He’s very physical and that’s what we love about him.”
The Kosice, Slovakia, native had the second most points by a Michigan State defenseman this season with 18 in 37 games. Štrbák was tied for 10th in the Big Ten with a plus-20 rating and had 38 blocked shots.
He represented Slovakia at four IIHF World Junior Championships (2002-2025), sharing an IIHF record, and had 16 points (2+14) in 19 games. He finished tied for the most assists by a defenseman during the 2024 tournament (6) and was selected as one of Slovakia’s top three performers at the event. He also represented Slovakia at the 2023 Men’s U18 World Championships in Switzerland, finishing fourth and serving as an alternate captain, competed in the Ivan Hlinka Tournament on Slovakia’s 2022 squad.