OTP - Who Will Fill The Sabres Top-Six Hole? As they enter the second month of the NHL season, the Buffalo Sabres have performed inconsistently. According to a report from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman earlier this week [https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/32-thoughts-trade-talk-beginning-to-pick-up-across-the-league/], GM Kevyn Adams is looking to make a trade, but he is not looking to subtract, he is looking to add to the current roster to improve their playoff chances. The Sabres are tied with three other teams for last in the Atlantic Division with nine points (4-5-1) and are looking not to dig themselves an early season hole. Although Friedman did not indicate a particular area that Adams may be focusing on, the position that Buffalo is most likely looking to address is a scoring forward that could play in their top six and on the power play. Head coach Lindy Ruff described this week’s shakeup of Buffalo’s second line and Dylan Cozens's shifting to the wing as a temporary move to jump-start the center. If successful, it could spur Adams to look for someone who could play up the middle. One name that received frequent mention in trade speculation over the summer is Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras. Those rumors have continued to percolate after a slow start (1 goal, 2 assists in 10 games). The flashy 23-year-old scored only 15 points last season after missing over 50 games with a broken ankle, and a change of scenery may be helpful after a pair of 60+ point campaigns with the Ducks in 2022 and 2023. Buffalo has more than enough cap space to accommodate his $5.75 million cap hit this and next season and Adams has a bevy of prospects and draft picks to make a deal possible. Zegras is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in 2026, which would allow the Sabres to retain or extend him if they make a trade. Follow Michael on X @MikeInBuffalo [https://twitter.com/MikeInBuffalo]
