NAHL alum Nelson signs contract with Sabres

Casey Nelson played three years in the NAHL, which included the 2013 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament.

The Buffalo Sabres have announced they have re-signed defenseman and NAHL grad Casey Nelson to a one-year contract worth $700,000.

Nelson, 28, has spent four full seasons with the organization since signing as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State University (Mankato) in 2016. He has appeared in 93 NHL games during that time, tallying 18 points (4+14).

Nelson spent three years in the NAHL (split between Johnstown and Alaska) prior to playing in the NCAA. Nelson played most recently in the NAHL for the Johnstown Tomahawks during the 2012-13 season. During that inaugural season in Johnstown, Nelson had 32 points in 56 games played. In the two years prior, Nelson played for the Alaska Avalanche from 2010-12.  Overall in his three-year NAHL career, Nelson appeared in 141 career games and had 32 points. Nelson also played in the 2013 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament for the Great Lakes team.

Nelson spent the entirety of the 2019-20 season with the Rochester Americans in the AHL, with whom he tallied 12 points (4+8) in 48 contests. His plus-18 rating led the team. 

"Obviously, I would have loved to be in Buffalo," he told Amerks.com. "Things didn't work out that way, which is fine. I was happy coming back to the Amerks and trying to help out the best that I could."

Nelson won two WCHA championships in three years at Minnesota State and was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Year in 2016.  His 60 career points on 14 goals and 46 assists in 99 career games ranks tenth on the school's all-time scoring by defensmen list (DI-era). Nelson finished this three years with the Mavericks with a +29 rating, along with 227 shots on goal and 127 blocked shots.