Top 3 defensemen the Buffalo Sabres could trade for at 2023 NHL Draft

The Buffalo Sabres could wind up trading for a defenseman in the 2023 offseason. Here are three names to keep an eye on this week.

With just over a week until the 2023 NHL Draft, the Buffalo Sabres could be doing more than just drafting prospects who could one day wear a blue and gold uniform. There will be no shortages of trades next week, and you can expect general manager Kevyn Adams to potentially take part in one for a defenseman.

We know the Blue and Gold are looking for someone, most likely an RHD, to line up alongside Owen Power on the second line. Below, there are three potential candidates, two of which are right-shot defensemen.

So who may be there for the taking when the 2023 NHL Entry Draft rolls around on June 28th? Here are three names to look out for.

3 blueliners the Buffalo Sabres could trade for next week

1 – Brett Pesce, Carolina Hurricanes

We already talked about Brett Pesce in a previous piece, but he’s worth mentioning again. Pesce, who could be finished with the Carolina Hurricanes if he and the team can’t reach an extension, would be a perfect fit to line up alongside the second-year blueliner in Owen Power.

Pesce would bring eight seasons of experience to the Buffalo Sabres, and his ability to force opponents to improvise and to create turnovers would immediately upgrade what was a struggling unit in 2022-23. If Pesce hasn’t reached a deal with Carolina by this time next week, look for the Sabres to close in and offer a rather lucrative package for the longtime defenseman.

In a dream scenario, Pesce will fit right in with the Blue and Gold, and since he’s only 28, there is a chance he can also fit into Buffalo’s long-term plans. And if that’s the case, Kevyn Adams has enough cap space to ink Pesce. If not, there will still be plenty of talent in and coming to Rochester who could eventually take over.

2 – Andrew Peeke, Columbus Blue Jackets

Thanks to recent events that involved the Columbus Blue Jackets acquiring Damon Severson and Ivan Provorov, along with David Jiricek set to rise through the ranks, Andrew Peeke just became expendable. The former second-round pick is just 25, and he’s shown incredible durability over the past two seasons, seeing ice time in 162 of a possible 164 regular season games.

During that time, Peeke has also evolved into one of the NHL’s most notorious hitters, logging 191 in 2021-22 before he came back this past season and recorded another 180. Peeke also amassed 169 and 197 blocks over the past two seasons, respectively, along with averaging at least 21:15 of ice time in each of the previous two seasons.

Further, if the Buffalo Sabres want to acquire someone for a bargain, Peeke should be their guy. While the Blue Jackets may want something lucrative in return, Peeke’s AAV runs at just $2.75 million until 2025-26. Overall, if Pesce is off the table, then Adams must inquire about Peeke.