Top 10 players acquired through trades that built the Buffalo Sabres
Between 2018 and 2021, the Buffalo Sabres pulled off four major blockbuster trades that have since built the Blue and Gold’s foundation.
The Buffalo Sabres pulled off four incredible trades between 2018 and 2021, starting with the Ryan O’Reilly deal and culminating with the Jack Eichel trade. As a result of these trades, the Sabres have received 10 players and prospects, building not only their main roster, but also a dynamic prospects pool.
Now that each trade is in the rearview, let’s break down what the Sabres got in return for O’Reilly, Eichel, Sam Reinhart, and Rasmus Ristolainen, and predict how each player and prospect will help the organization. Not everyone listed below will wear a blue and gold uniform in a regular season game, and not everyone will be in the Queen City forever. But that doesn’t mean they won’t help the Sabres. Let’s meet our 10 players and prospects.
10 players and prospects that helped build the Buffalo Sabres
10 – Anton Wahlberg
There are some eerie correlations between the Anton Wahlberg and Jiri Kulich picks. General manager Kevyn Adams tried to trade back up to get them in back-to-back seasons, failed, but they fell to him anyway.
Both impressed during their initial development camps, and they have both become immediate fan favorites in the prospects pool. The only real difference is that Wahlberg will remain in Sweden for at least another season before he embarks to North America.
But given the 6’3, 190 lb forward’s size, he will be fun to watch once he’s over in Rochester and acclimating to the North American game. Overall, I’m expecting Wahlberg to eventually work his way onto the Sabres.
9 – Noah Ostlund
Noah Ostlund was the 16th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, and a product of the Jack Eichel trade. He has a lot of backers, but Ostlund is also the likeliest trade piece on this list, considering that he is spending another year in Sweden as opposed to making his AHL debut in 2023-24 as one of a few reasons.
The decision to play in the SHL will help his development long-term, meaning the Blue and Gold could deal him to a team that’s still in rebuilding mode for a potential high-impact prospect toward the 2024 trade deadline. There is also the fact that Ostlund is looking up at quite a few centers in the prospects pool and in the Sabres lineup at the moment, further indicating he could be a trade piece.
8 – Ryan Johnson
Ryan Johnson was a product of that 2019 Ryan O’Reilly trade, as the Sabres used their acquired first round pick to select him 31st overall. Johnson’s status with the team, however, remained a mystery until he finally signed his entry-level contract earlier in the offseason.
This year, he will get his first taste of professional hockey in the AHL with the Rochester Americans, and the upcoming year will give us good insight of how far he is away from seeing the NHL ice. Although he’s only ranked eighth at the moment, Johnson could wind up as an integral part of the Buffalo Sabres lineup in time.
7 – Isak Rosen
It will be interesting to see how much of a leap Isak Rosen will make this season after he transitioned well to the North American game. Like Wahlberg, Rosen is a product of the Ristolainen trade, and he’s given Sabres fans every indication that he will be wearing a blue and gold uniform down the road.
Look for Rosen to take over games in Rochester this year if his performance in the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs serves as an indication. If he performs well enough and puts on more muscle, he could sneak his way into the Sabres lineup in 2024-25 with players like Tyson Jost, Zemgus Girgensons, Kyle Okposo, and Victor Olofsson potentially on their way out.
6 – Jiri Kulich
Jiri Kulich was phenomenal in the regular season and in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The 28th overall pick was a product of the Sam Reinhart trade, and he could find himself in a Sabres uniform sooner than later, perhaps even this season if he enjoys a good camp.
Kulich could eventually fill the void Olofsson leaves behind given his scoring ability. And as his body continues to mature, Kulich will better handle playing an 82-game slate in the NHL when he makes the ultimate leap.
5 – Jordan Greenway
The Buffalo Sabres traded for Jordan Greenway using the second pick they acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Jack Eichel trade. Greenway struggled at times after the Blue and Gold acquired him, but he also showed flashes, so the jury remains out on how much of an impact he will make.
However, Greenway is a bigger, physical player who could evolve into a solid bottom six piece under head coach Don Granato. It won’t be long until we see if an offseason and subsequent training camp and preseason will help the 26-year-old.
4 – Devon Levi
Devon Levi could be the steal of the four major trades that helped build this team and its prospects pool. Drafted 212th overall, Levi has so far outperformed his initial draft position in college and during his seven-game stint with the Sabres.
If Levi proves he can withstand an 82-game season with at least 40 starts, then he is the unquestioned goaltender of the future for the Blue and Gold. In the early going, he has given every indication that he can be that guy.
3 – Peyton Krebs
Another product of the Jack Eichel trade, Peyton Krebs looked like a solid up-and-comer when he broke into the Buffalo Sabres lineup during the 2021-22 season. Early in 2022-23, he looked so-so, at best, before he found his niche as a bruising fourth-liner, and you can expect him to be a game-changer in that role this season.
Although the former first round pick will never be a star in this league, Krebs still plays an incredible role as a defensive forward. Overall, you can expect the Sabres to keep him around beyond this season when he becomes an RFA.
2 – Alex Tuch
Alex Tuch was little more than a middle six talent when he came to the Blue and Gold as part of the Jack Eichel trade. Now, he’s one of the best scorers on the Sabres and there is a chance he can spend most, if not all of his career in the Queen City.
Tuch is the top power forward on the Sabres, and this season, he could become a Top 5 power forward in the NHL if he hasn’t already gotten there. And best yet, Tuch has basically picked up where Eichel left off from a performance standpoint.
1 – Tage Thompson
And finally, we got Tage Thompson topping the list. Initially, it looked as though acquiring Tage was an ill-fated move, but under head coach Don Granato, the former first round pick has since emerged as one of the NHL’s most dangerous scorers.
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Tage broke out in 2021-22 when he scored 68 points and 38 goals, good enough for the Buffalo Sabres to sign him to an extension. In 2022-23, he proved the previous year was no fluke, logging 47 goals, 47 assists, and 94 points. Expect Tage to once again contend to pace the Blue and Gold in scoring.
Source: Hamilton Take2: Sabres GM Kevyn Adams’ strategy of sustainable success by Paul Hamilton, WGRZ.com
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)