Peterka, of course, is in a different situation from Reinhart. The Sabres have his rights for four more years before he\u2019s an unrestricted free agent. And he\u2019s not the same level of player as Reinhart, either. But the idea of another talented young player becoming disgruntled is the worst kind of deja vu for Sabres fans.<\/p>\n
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JJ Peterka had 68 points in 77 games for the Sabres last season. (Sergei Belski \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
1. The one question that matters when it comes to any possible Peterka trade: Can the Sabres make themselves better by trading him?<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the only way Adams should evaluate any proposals for Peterka. Future assets don\u2019t matter unless packaged with pieces that can help the Sabres end the playoff drought next season. Peterka\u2019s point production isn\u2019t easy to replace, but the Sabres might be able to find a more complete two-way player in the process or shore up their hole at right defense. Maybe Peterka is valuable enough for them to accomplish both of those things in one trade.<\/p>\n
2. There is a risk that the Sabres look like pushovers if they trade Peterka at the first sign of his dissatisfaction. With four years of team control, Adams has the leverage to play hardball. But that\u2019s a delicate game to play in a locker room that has a lot of players frustrated with losing. Adams and Lindy Ruff spent a lot of time after the season talking about the need for the culture to change. A big part of that is having everyone pulling in the same direction. If Peterka is going to stay in Buffalo, Adams needs to make sure he\u2019s bought in and will stay bought in as long as possible.<\/p>\n
3. Peterka should also recognize that not every situation around the league will be as good for him as the one in Buffalo. He\u2019s getting top-six minutes and top power-play usage. That\u2019s a big reason he got 68 points last season and 50 the year before. Would he have that same role on every other team? I understand he wants to exercise some leverage here, but he has to think about the big picture, too. He\u2019s four years away from unrestricted free agency. He has no trade protection. If he does end up getting traded, the Sabres don\u2019t have to send him to a preferred destination. Buffalo isn\u2019t a hockey paradise at the moment, but there are incentives for him to stick around.<\/p>\n
4. One other factor tied to the Peterka decision is the development of Zach Benson. He\u2019s entering his third season in the league and is only 20, but late in the season, we got a glimpse of what he could do when playing on a line with Tage Thompson.<\/p>\n
Consider these stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Benson and Thompson together at five-on-five: 53.85 percent expected goal share
\u2022 Benson without Thompson at five-on-five: 54.68 percent expected goal share
\u2022 Thompson without Benson: 51.05 percent expected goal share<\/p>\n
\u2022 Peterka with Thompson together at five-on-five: 50.34 percent expected goal share
\u2022 Peterka without Thompson: 42.77 percent expected goal share
\u2022 Thompson without Peterka: 53.31 percent expected goal share<\/p>\n
Thompson is Buffalo\u2019s biggest driver among the forwards, so it\u2019s no surprise Peterka was better when playing with him than without him. There is also a case to be made that playing well with Thompson is part of Peterka\u2019s appeal.<\/p>\n
But the Benson numbers are notable, even in a smaller sample size. You might be thinking, \u201cThat\u2019s great, but Benson only had 28 points last season and 30 the year before. Peterka had 68 points last season and 50 the year before.\u201d That\u2019s valid, but there\u2019s more to building a team than point totals. There is a benefit to building a line of players who complement one another. The way Benson forechecks, wins puck battles and gets to the net makes him a much different player than Peterka. He\u2019s also far better defensively, which matters when playing with Thompson, who has defensive deficiencies of his own.<\/p>\n
The Sabres may not even need Benson to fill that role if they trade Peterka. A 23-year-old with Peterka\u2019s production over the last two seasons would net a significant return. There\u2019s a good chance the Sabres could fill multiple holes in their lineup by moving him. But Benson\u2019s value shouldn\u2019t be overlooked because of a few mediocre point totals at 18 and 19 years old. He\u2019s one of Buffalo\u2019s best all-around forwards and still has the potential to become a 60-plus-point player.<\/p>\n
5. What shouldn\u2019t be lost in the Peterka distraction is that Alex Tuch needs to be a priority for the Sabres. He\u2019s eligible for an extension on July 1, and they\u2019ve already met with his agent to set the table for negotiations. This is Adams\u2019 chance to show Tuch he\u2019s ready to make a serious commitment to him financially and also that he\u2019s capable of building a competitive team around him. Tuch isn\u2019t just going to stick around because he grew up a Sabres fan.<\/p>\n
6. In his latest mock draft<\/a>, Corey Pronman has Boston College center James Hagens falling to No. 8 and Brampton winger Porter Martone falling to the Sabres at No. 9. If either player is available, Buffalo will be extremely fortunate. Hagens is a potential No. 1 center and would be a major value at No. 9. Martone\u2019s size, competitiveness and goal-scoring touch around the net would also make him an easy pick for the Sabres if he falls. If you\u2019re rooting for one of those two players to make it to No. 9, you want to hear names like Brady Martin, James O\u2019Brien, Roger McQueen and Radim Mrtka in the top eight picks. If three of those players go in the top eight, it\u2019s likely one of Hagens or Marton will be there for the Sabres. That\u2019s a best-case scenario for Buffalo.<\/p>\n Mattias Samuelsson hasn\u2019t lived up to his contract. (Bob Frid \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n 7. The buyout window is officially open until June 30, and Mattias Samuelsson is the name to keep an eye on. He\u2019s entering the third season of a contract that pays him $4.285 million annually. He turns 26 next season, so this is the Sabres\u2019 last chance to buy him out at one-third of his total contract cost. He would count for $714,286 on the cap for the next 10 years if the Sabres bought him out. That would save Buffalo just over $3.5 million in each of the next five seasons, and they would then have a penalty of $714,286 for five years after that. The cost savings could come in handy as they try to fit their restricted free agents under the cap while leaving room to change the roster.<\/p>\n Samuelsson hasn\u2019t lived up to the contract he signed. He\u2019s struggled to stay healthy and struggled when he\u2019s been healthy. Even after being named an alternate captain this season, Samuelsson got off to a slow start and was at the center of one of the team\u2019s most disappointing moments of the season when nobody stepped in to defend Tage Thompson after a dirty hit from Stefan Noesen<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/USATSI_25265272-scaled.jpg\")
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