Buffalo Sabres right winger JJ Peterka has increasingly become a topic of conjecture [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-rumor-roundup-the-latest-on-sabres-jj-peterka-and-predators-jonathan-marchessault] for NHL pundits, with some of them featuring him prominently among their off-season trade candidates. It's been reported the Sabres [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres] received offers for Peterka going back to the March NHL trade deadline. However, they weren't interested in moving the 23-year-old, especially after his career-best 68-point performance this season. PuckPedia indicates [https://puckpedia.com/player/john-jason-peterka] Peterka is an RFA coming off his entry-level contract and lacks no-trade protection. Rumors persist claiming the Sabres are still getting calls about his availability, with some observers speculating he could become an offer-sheet target. The Sabres reportedly remain reluctant about trading Peterka. Their $23 million in cap space suggested any offer could be easily matched, but rumors persist claiming Peterka could be traded or become an offer-sheet candidate. On Sunday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported [https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/rumour-roundup-mitch-marners-camp-not-engaged-with-maple-leafs/] the Sabres have started listening to those trade offers. He believes Peterka is unhappy and wants to move to a different team. Despite the Sabres' cap space, the threat of an offer sheet could provide additional reason to move Paterka. Arthur Staple of The Athletic suggested [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6424539/2025/06/13/new-york-rangers-nhl-free-agency-chris-kreider-trade/] he could be an option for the New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers], which freed up $6.5 million in cap space by shipping Chris Kreider last week to the Anaheim Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/trade-anaheim-ducks-acquire-chris-kreider-from-new-york-rangers]. JJ Peterka (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/dd7a687c-2950-469e-825b-5a6f2acfa1e1.jpeg] JJ Peterka (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images) Staple speculated the Sabres could be unwilling to match an offer between $7 million and $9.3 million. He noted the Rangers lack their 2026 second-rounder, which would be necessary as part of the compensation required, but suggested they could attempt to reacquire that pick from the Utah Mammoth [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/utah] and then make their move. If the Sabres trade Peterka, they'll want a substantive return. Given their well-stocked prospect pipeline, they won't want offers of draft picks and prospects. They'll likely want a player-for-player swap akin to their acquisition of Josh Norris from Ottawa [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators] for Dylan Cozens or Bowen Byram from Colorado [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche] for Casey Mittelstadt. The asking price for Peterka could be a top-four, right-shot defenseman in their prime to pair with young left-shot blueliner Owen Power. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
