The Buffalo Sabres have plenty of off-season business to complete and will likely be looking to shake things up after their 14th consecutive season outside of the playoffs. It is expected that GM Kevyn Adams will be open to entertaining offers on restricted free agent defenseman Bowen Byram, with only two years left before the 23-year-old blueliner can hit the open market, but the chatter seems to be more of a longshot in regards to RFA winger JJ Peterka.
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 23-year-old forward since the trade deadline, when he was connected to the NY Rangers. Entering the offseason, the winger has been listed prominently on RFA trade lists from Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff and Harman Dayal of the Athletic.
Unlike with Byram, where the Sabres would be looking to be trading from a position of strength with team captain Rasmus Dahlin and 2021 top overall pick Owen Power on the left side, Adams does not have an overload of scoring depth on the wing, and Peterka is under team control for another four seasons.
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Agent Allan Walsh represents Peterka, someone who is quite adept at using the media to sell a narrative. Seravalli said that multiple teams put together significant offers for Peterka in the days leading up to the March deadline, but that Buffalo was not biting. The Sabres, under threat of a potential offer sheet after July 1, may have fewer options. Dayal said that the winger had extremely poor defensive metrics and wondered whether Buffalo would be willing to make a long-term investment in him.
An offer sheet should not strike fear in the heart of the Sabres with over $23 million in available cap space going into the summer, and with the aura of not being able to attract free agents from outside the organization, Adams needs to invest in home-grown products like Peterka and lock them up on long-term deals.
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