Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has a lot of balls in the air as the NHL Draft and July 1st approach. The Sabres have the ninth overall pick later this month, they are reportedly fielding offers for RFA defenseman Bowen Byram, and also have to deal with the contractual situation of winger JJ Peterka. Adams at the end-of-season media availability indicated that the Sabres hope to sign Peterka to an extension this summer, but rumors persist that the 23-year-old may prefer to play elsewhere, which prompted Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff to place the young German forward as one of his top-five offer sheet candidates.
Peterka finished second in team scoring with 68 points (27 goals, 41 assists) in 77 games, playing mostly on the top line with Tage Thompson, but trade rumors have circulated around the him since before the trade deadline, when Seravalli connected the Sabres winger to the NY Rangers. Adams does not have an abundance of scoring depth on the wing, and Peterka is under team control for another four seasons, which is the reason why they are not looking to deal him.
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Seravalli believes that the Sabres are at a particularly vulnerable to an offer sheet, especially one that would be heavily laden with signing bonuses, but an offer sheet should not strike fear of Adams if his mantra of not being denied any resources by owner Terry Pegula holds true. Buffalo has over $23 million in available cap space going into the summer, leaving them completely capable of matching any offer.
An offer sheet may not be the road that Peterka’s agent Allan Walsh wants to go down. If his client truly does not want to stay with the Sabres, he would be rolling the dice that Buffalo does not match. If they do, his client would be locked in the club on a long-term deal. All the chatter of an offer sheet may simply be a negotiating tactic on the part of Walsh to get a better salary from the fiscally responsible Sabres.
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