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Another from the Athletic: James Mirtle: The Mammoth have been rumored to be in on almost everything since the draft combine, and GM Bill Armstrong nabbed the top young player on most trade boards with an aggressive bid here. Utah wins the deal in terms of upside, as Peterka was the fifth-youngest player in the NHL to clear 25 goals and 65 points this season. He’s a strong passer, is excellent one-on-one and is deceptively strong for his 189 pounds. He still has a ways to go defensively, but he turned just 23 in January and he was playing on a struggling team. Peterka was also unhappy in Buffalo and wanted out, which somewhat forced Buffalo’s hand here. If he figures out his two-way game, he’ll be a star alongside Utah’s other up-and-coming young forwards. The Sabres do fill a big need in a right-shot defenseman with size and some defensive acumen, and Kesselring’s rise from sixth-round pick to top-four blueliner has been rather meteoric since coming over from Edmonton. Doan, meanwhile, is only a month younger than Peterka and has yet to stick full-time in the NHL, but he has a solid power-forward/two-way game that should allow him to eventually be a top-six forward in a Shane Doan Lite kind of way. Unless Doan’s development greatly accelerates, however, the return is somewhat underwhelming for Buffalo given Peterka’s offensive output the past two seasons. The Sabres do clear up considerable cap space, given that the two players they added make $2.3 million combined, which should allow them to be more active. Winning a Bowen Byram trade becomes vital now, however. Mammoth grade: A- Sabres grade: C+

Does Doan make Krebs expendable? 🤔

From the Athletic: Shayna Goldman: Peterka’s stock was already high after he scored 28 goals in 2023-24, and then he added another dimension with dangerous passing this season. While he has defensive flaws, the demand was always going to be there for a 23-year-old under cost control for another four seasons — especially now, with few top-six wingers set to hit the free agent market and a lot of teams looking for offensive upgrades. Peterka should be a great fit in a top-six of rising stars in Utah. Between Dylan Guenther, Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley and now Peterka, the present and the future are bright for the Mammoth. The price of acquisition checks out, too. Utah had a surplus of defensemen, and that made Kesselring expandable. As sentimental as it is to have a Doan in the organization, the reality is that Peterka is the more ready top-six contributor. Plus, Utah still has a deep pipeline to pull from. The $7.7 million contract extension for Peterka is slightly above his market value. But if he can keep growing offensively and work on his play away from the puck, this deal should age just fine. As for the Sabres, Kesselring is an ideal fit who addresses a major need on the right side of the blue line. He showed the chops to play a top-four role in Utah when the team was dealing with key injuries. His zone-entry defense was solid, along with with his puck-moving ability. That should add more two-way stability to Owen Power’s right and solidify the second pair — if his skill translates in Buffalo. Some of Kesselring’s top comps, Marcus Pettersson and Matt Niskanen, show a promising future in the top-four. But there are dicier paths that he could take, such as those of Kyle Quincey and Carson Soucy. It’s all about whether the Sabres can channel the best of his abilities. Doan is the more surprising player involved in this trade. The 23-year-old looks ready to be an NHL regular and has real middle-six potential. But the real question is whether this is enough of a return for Peterka, especially in this market. This probably would be viewed differently if the Sabres were a team crushed for cap space, looking for under-the-radar additions. Then maybe it would be more of a home run, because together, Doan and Kesselring take up only $2.5 million in cap space next season. The Sabres have cap flexibility and need difference-makers, and management has to be willing to swing for that. Peterka was becoming that, and maybe both Kesselring and Doan will be, too. The on-ice value and potential is there, but if this team wants to actually progress, it has to show more of a willingness to invest in star talent. Mammoth grade: A- Sabres grade: B

I don't want them to but Guerin likes big centers

JJP and Quinn moved in the same off season, KA would really be changing course. Oleksiak is who Mule should be.

I think Quinn was a complete failure it multiple ways last season. He will also never be a guy you want in your foxhole if a scrum ensues on the ice. That said, I think he has more hockey IQ than JJP and that the organization is counting on him for more goals (to make up for JJP's departure). I sure as hell don't know what to expect from him next season, but I do expect to see him on the roster. In GMKA's mind, Quinn's price tag will still be cheap enough.

I love the Okeksiak deal, I think that’s something that could get done if we took Grubauer contract

Technically, they could fight a 15 year old too… but the entire team is getting released if they allow one of the exceptional status players to drop the gloves.

This is one of those trades where Kevyn has to just sit there and take it from everybody deservedly so. But this is a great trade for us in my opinion. It’s time we build a ***** team that plays like a team instead of having a bunch of young talent/potential floating around acting like they don’t have to play two way hockey. I’ve watched Florida closely over the last few seasons as most of us have and a guy like JJ is nowhere near their starting lineup. He doesn’t want to be a true NHL hockey player. He just wants to score goals and make plays. I’m telling you all that I’ve watched JJ very closely because I’ve had a bug up my ass about him for years and he is the laziest most entitled player I’ve seen at his age especially.

Apologies if this has been asked or covered previously. Is Kesselring a 2nd pair D already or is he a 3rd pair D who is expected to jump into the top 4? If the latter, isn't that the Cliffy signing v.2? Separately, this should pretty much tank the Complaints Thursday thread for this week. (sorry for using that term)

To look at it positively, the person who gets peterka's minutes... Or how they're distributed around the forward group, let's look at that. What is the goal differential you get there? Meaning... Let's say you get 10 less goals out of those minutes, but you also allow five less.. then losing peterka is only -5. And if Doan replaces somebody on the 3rd or fourth line and gives you some production and along with not causing mistakes, gives you a positive five differential... Your forward group is close to being even. Then you could look at the improvement you get with the defense.. any improvement there is gravy on top.

I don't think they'll trade Wahlberg.

Now trade Byram for a JJ replacement and if that means the 9th overall pick goes with it I’m cool with that. Add a defensemen and legit goalie option in FA or trades and we’re looking up.

I fully acknowledge I have no idea how any of this will turn out. I have said from the start of the off-season that I think we can move Peterka and Byram for lesser players who are better fits in a team structure, and we can be a better team for it. I was, though (like you, I think), expecting that the players we bring in, if lesser in talent than Peterka and Byram, would at least be more experienced and have a longer track record of helping teams win. There is still lots of off-season left, but it is difficult for me to overlook that we made a 2 for 1 trade and the 2 we added will combined make about 1/3 of the salary that we traded. Given the post-pandemic track record of Pegula/Adams, I think it is reasonable to be concerned that there were considerations here that go beyond making us a better team. Specific to the bolded, I agree that in Peterka's short-career and at his young age, he has yet to display characteristics of leadership. He has not had a plethora of great role models though, and nor should we be expecting that as a trait that every player has in spades. It all does seem a little eerily familiar, thinking back to other young players who we jettisoned to improve the culture. At some point, the root cause of why player's don't want to be here and why the culture is bad, needs to be addressed.

Byram for Blake Coleman and NJ's 1st Underwhelming but fits the mantra of harder to play against 9 + Anton Wahlberg for Marco Rossi who gets 7x7mil Quinn, Muel and Lafferty for Jamie Oleksiak + P. Grubauer(1.9mil retained) Clifton + 4th to Chicago for Future Considerations

It’s not like adding Deslauriers but the rest of the team just got a smidge braver. They don’t need a pure pugilist but more of a pack mentality. Now move on from Mule to take that up another notch.

He is pretty though!

Jamie Benn signs for 1yr at 1mil base with 3 mil in incentives.

I would even say if Doan gives us 15g 25a plays both ends and makes us harder to play against and continues with his upside and Peterka goes 30 and 30 I am still fine. We must get better in the D zone... like now.

It is not unrealistic at all. At the end of next season we will have the correct answer. Hard to tell about Doan, but Peterka probably will play on their second line and those points are about what I expect from him there.

I wish Adams was fired yesterday but I don’t look at this trade as the train wreck some people are. I really like Kesselring and Doan plays a style this team desperately needs. To me they need to get a legit centre and slide Kulich over to the wing where I think he can be the new JJ. Please don’t start the year with UPL-Levi. I desperately want an upgrade in net.

Get Quinn tf off this team also. Another liability as a two-way player and the guy looks like ***** Bambi now. Can’t stay on his feet. Another soft first rounder that can’t come close to living up to the expectations. Sell him on his high offensive potential just like JJ. The only cup Sabres are ever gonna win jk…

What's the Eyanley cup?

Yep