EDMONTON – You’ve gotta make hay while the sun shines.
This farming adage could prove fruitful for a fortunate NHL team this offseason. The Edmonton Oilers would be wise to poke around an RFA who is reportedly not happy with their current team.
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The Buffalo Sabres’ 23-year-old JJ Peterka would be an incredible addition to the Oilers team. His nose for the net, goal-scoring ability, and rumored availability make him the ideal candidate to join the Copper and Blue.
Here’s why the Oilers should make a deal for the young, German forward.
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Peterka Has A Nose For The Net
NHLers and coaches alike will tell you that the key to scoring goals is simply going to the net. This is something that Peterka does on instinct.
According to his teammates, he has a nose for the net and goes hard every time he hits the ice.
“Every time he has the puck, he’s going to make a play and then get to the net,” Peyton Krebs, a teammate of Peterka’s, told The Score. “A lot of guys hold back and take it easy sometimes, but not JJ.”
Peterka Is Coming Off A Career Year
Peterka is coming off the best year of his (very) young NHL career. With over 200 games played already, he has scored 28 and 27 goals in the last two years.
He recorded 68 points in 77 games for the Sabres this year. Peterka averaged 18:11 per game. He finished second on the team in scoring behind Tage Thompson, who collected 72 points.
Peterka was on the Sabres' top unit powerplay, averaging 2:55 with the man advantage per game.
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EDMONTON – “That’s actually a discussion in our room and there are some painful answers.”
Sabres Are Taking Calls On Peterka
According to Elliotte Friedman, the Sabres have changed their tune on Peterka’s status with the club. On the latest 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman laid out the situation.
“I have said on this podcast and in my radio interviews several times,” Friedman began. “The Sabres have indicated that they do not want to trade JJ Peterka…their answer has changed.”
As for why the Sabres have had a change of heart, Friedman explained his understanding.
“I think it’s the reality of the situation,” Friedman revealed. “People know Peterka’s unhappy, and it’s believed he would like to go somewhere else.”
“I just think that reality is sinking in a bit.”
Peterka is coming off a three-year Entry Level Contract (ELC). He is currently without a contract as an offer-sheet available RFA (Restricted Free Agent).
Making a deal with Peterka right now would be the prudent thing to do. For starters, the Sabres don’t have a lot of leverage in any negotiations. With the word of their player not happy with the organization out in the hockey community as common knowledge, it puts them into a bit of a pickle.
Using some draft capital and/or a player signed for multiple years as the foundation for a deal would make the most sense on the Oilers end of things. It would certainly make more sense than taking the offer sheet approach.
Peterka plays the right game and has the offensive skill to be an ideal candidate for the Oilers to target. It probably doesn’t hurt to have countryman Leon Draisaitl on the team either – the center he would most likely play with.
There is plenty of time for something to happen before this metaphorical sun goes down.
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