BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres signed defenseman Oskari Laaksonen to a three-year entry-level contract Monday.

Laaksonen, 20, was Buffalo's third-round pick in the 2017 draft and spent the past two-plus seasons playing in Finland's Elite League.

Laaksonen had five goals and 35 assists in 113 career games with Ilves Tampere. He also played on Finland's gold-medal-winning junior national team in 2019.

"The work Oskari has put in to improve his game has paid off during his last two seasons," Sabres general manager Jason Botterill said in a statement. "His success on the international stage and what he's done as a 19- and 20-year-old playing in a professional league is impressive."

The 6-foot-1, 181-pound Laaksonen is expected to spend time developing in the minors.