The Buffalo Sabres aren’t expected to be much of a focus at this year’s Trade Deadline, but one young star has seen his name circulate around rumors. Now, the New York Rangers are joining in on the race for top-line Sabres winger JJ Peterka per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. The report of New York’s interest was seconded by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, but downplayed by Arthur Staple of The Athletic, painting an enticing picture headed into Friday’s Trade Deadline.
Lysowski adds that New York’s assistant coach, Michael Peca, worked closely with Peterka during the winger’s only year in the minor leagues. Peterka scored a team-leading 28 goals and 68 points in 70 AHL games under the guidance of Peca and then-head coach Seth Appert.
The likelihood of Peterka moving at the deadline seems slim-to-none. The 23-year-old has turned into a perennial star for the Sabres, fighting his way onto the top line at the end of last season and vindicating it with a fantastic performance this year. He has 18 goals and 49 points in 58 games – the third-most scoring on the Sabres behind Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. Peterka is on an 82-game pace of 69 points, which would blow his career-high 50 points set last season out of the water. He’s also on pace for 25 goals this season, which wouldn’t quite top his 28 goals last year but nonetheless shows his knack for finding the back of the net.
Peterka has totaled 58 goals and 131 points in 219 career games since making his NHL debut in the 2021-22 season. He not only seems like a cornerstone of the Sabres lineup for years to come – but also stands as the team’s best draft steal in recent memory. Buffalo drafted Peterka with the 34th-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, coupling him with Jack Quinn as the team’s breakaway stars from that class. Peterka has since played in the most NHL games, scored the most goals, and recorded the most points of anyone drafted outside of that year’s first round.
Suffice it to say, a trade for Peterka would need to be exorbitant. The Sabres are in the midst of a 13-season playoff drought – a cold streak that paces all North American major men’s sports leagues. Peterka has been a piece that’s sparked the offense in the midst of that drought, though the team is still floundering despite their young winger’s success. Lysowski added that Buffalo will want NHL players back for any moves they make, which could be the hang-up that pushes any deal involving Peterka to the off-season at least.
New York may be able to swing a deal by offering up forward Alexis Lafreniere, who went first-
overall in Peterka’s draft year but has struggled to find the same hot start to his career. Lafreniere has 14 goals and 35 points in 62 games this season, and set his career-highs in scoring with 28 goals and 57 points last year. The Rangers would likely have to add more to balance the equation, even despite Lafreniere’s draft pedigree, which could pull players like K’Andre Miller or Braden Schneider into the fold. Schneider could be particularly enticing, offering a right-shot that Buffalo sorely needs. Even then, it seems draft capital may be in order to land a top young player who has only grown more from season to season.
The Rangers have shown no shyness in making big moves this season. Since the start of the year, they’ve parted ways with Filip Chytil, Ryan Lindgren, Jacob Trouba, Jimmy Vesey, and Victor Mancini. They’ve managed that overall without losing too many future assets – save for the young Mancini – which could set up more fire sale options. The Rangers added Brendan Brisson to a scant prospect pool on Thursday. He’ll join Brennan Othmann, Brett Berard, Adam Sykora, and Lucas Edmonds as the team’s top prospects in the AHL. All options are wingers with bottom-six upside at least, creating a bit of a logjam in the Rangers pipeline. Acquiring Peterka – maybe on the back of one of these prospects – surely wouldn’t solve that logjam, but it would give New York a major upgrade over their promising-but-long-drawn options right now.
I love all these articles where the writer throws out names it would take to get a certain player. Sure, why shouldn’t the Rangers trade Laffy & Schneider plus a first rounder for Peterka? Maybe they sweeten the pot with K’Andre, Perreault and Emery too? They are not trading for Gretzky. I get the gotta give up something of value to get something of value back but the trades suggested in these posts are just ridiculous.
For real. Peterka and Laf both had 28 goals last year. They both have less this year. Why would the Rangers need to add much more than Laf? Maybe a late-round pick?
Rangers can also throw in Igor, with 50% retention.
Also he says the Rangers have a “scant prospect pool”, but most farm ranking sites have them somewhere around 16-18 which is middle of the road but far from the bottom.
They have a decent system and have been drafting pretty well despite being a 100 point team the last few seasons.
Probably because Peterka has 20 points more than Laffy and is trending up, not down. Not sure why Buffalo would move Peterka for Laffy to begin with. And I’m a Rangers fan.
@Denny, @Frozen, contract status as Buffalo would be doing NYR a favor by taking on more money
I guess, but Peterka is an RFA — what’s his next contract look like? The Athletic thinks north of 7m. Then it’s a contractual wash.
@Frozen, who would you rather have? Honest question
Honestly, I’m not sure, because I don’t watch the Sabres that much and it didn’t seem like he was a major play driver even when the Sabres drubbed the Rangers. I’d rather make a play for Tuch if we’re gonna give up roster players.
I give 0.001% credibility to this rumor.
Stupid rumor. So Buffalo won’t make the playoffs this year. They have cap space. So let a team offer sheet JJ. If it’s 3 or 4 1sts offer sheet then hey JJ should walk. If not no team at the deadline will have the assets needed to acquire JJ. Adams needs to stay patient with the youngest team in hockey.
Lucas Edmonds is not a top Rangers prospect lol
This is as bad a take as the one where the Rangers would swing a deal for Connor McDavid. It’s almost as if these writers roll the dice and come up with wild trades. Claiming they get it from credible sources. Sure let’s trade away 50% of our top players, 2-3 top prospects, and take on a large salary hit. Of course then the team would suck for years until they could replenish the team and pipeline. Ridiculous.