With the Sabres looking to break their 13-year playoff drought, they must make a huge push for this Blues star.
With the Sabres looking to break their 13-year playoff drought, they must make a huge push for this Blues star.
The Buffalo Sabres are expected to have a busy offseason. The Atlantic Division club extended their playoff drought to 13 years, and they are gearing up to make some big changes because of it.
With the Sabres desperately needing to become a true playoff team and having an immensely deep prospect pool, they are likely shopping their 11th overall pick. This news makes it clear that they want to land a high-impact player who will help them immediately rather than adding another top prospect to their system.
When looking at this offseason's top trade candidates, one player for which they should seriously consider flipping their first-round pick this year for is St. Louis Blues star Pavel Buchnevich.
The Sabres have been connected to Buchnevich in the past, as they were linked to him nearing the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. The need to add a big-time winger to their top six is still there, so it would not be shocking if they kicked tires on him again this summer.
Buchnevich would give the Sabres' top six a massive boost as they look to blossom into a playoff team. When looking at a fit for him in the Sabres' lineup, he could work wonderfully on the top line with J.J. Peterka and Tage Thompson. However, if they wanted to spread out their star talent a bit more, he would also be an option on a line with Dylan Cozens and Zach Benson.
Buchnevich's offensive skills would make him an obvious pick for their power play. In addition, he also works on the penalty kill because of his effective two-way play.
The Sabres would likely need to include a bit more than just the 11th overall pick to land Buchnevich. However, with the club looking to take that next step, now is the time to make a blockbuster.
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