James Guillory-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/13a9a140-8ae0-4ec6-a3d2-3f8c821e0099.jpeg] James Guillory-Imagn Images JJ Peterka seemed to be on the New York Rangers’ radar for a long time, but now he’s officially off the market. The Utah Mammoth acquired Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night in exchange for Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring. Peterka also signed a five-year, $38.5 million contract with the Mammoth, completing the blockbuster trade. The Rangers have been linked to have interest in Peterka since around the time of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News [https://x.com/LLysowski/status/1897828887670706462] first reported at the time that the Rangers were among the teams trying to acquire Peterka from the Sabres. NHL insider Frank Seravalli added [https://x.com/frank_seravalli/status/1897847226497442091] the Rangers had “advanced discussions” with the Sabres involving the availability of Peterka. Ultimately, the rumors simmered down and Peterka was not moved before the trade deadline. However, with Peterka set to become a restricted free agent on July 1, it was heavily speculated that the Rangers could be back in the mix for the young forward. It’s unclear if Rangers president and general manager made a strong push for Peterka or not, but the bottom line is that they missed out on acquiring a potential All-Star for a relatively cheap price both in terms of trade value and his recent contract extension. Now, two rumored targets for the Rangers, Peterka and Trevor Zegras, have been traded as the Blueshirts are left without any of them.
