It is tough to know exactly what Jarmo Kekalainen is planning in his first offseason with the Buffalo Sabres. If the trade deadline is any indication, he is going to be aggressive and look to make a splash.
While it may not be the only factor, one of the things that the Sabres' general manager is going to have to take into account is players with trade clauses. For three players, they have trade clauses set to kick in over roughly the next year, with two at the beginning of July and one next summer.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is coming off arguably the best season of his career as he split the starting job with Alex Lyon. While these two were great during the regular season, they struggled in the playoffs, and it might mean Kekalainen could look for an upgrade at goalie.
Luukkonen has three years left on his current contract, but has a modified no-trade clause that kicks in July 1st that includes five teams. While it is not a lot of teams, it could be enough to impact potential trade discussions that might complicate Jarmo Kekalainen's job.
The Buffalo Sabres are not going to be the only team around the NHL looking to make a change at the position. If the moment comes that the Sabres find an upgrade and decide to move Luukkonen, it would benefit them to get that deal done in June.
Josh Norris
Josh Norris just finished his first full season with the Buffalo Sabres after they traded for him at the trade deadline the season prior. He would play in only 44 regular-season games and 10 playoff games as he continues to deal with injuries.
While the Sabres were reportedly reluctant to include Norris in any trades at the trade deadline, they may be a little more motivated over the next few weeks. He has a 10-team no-trade clause that kicks in on July 1st.
One of the reasons the Sabres could be motivated to move Norris is that he does have an AAV of $7.95 million with four more years left on his contract. They are currently dealing with a salary cap crunch, trying to re-sign Alex Tuch along with new deals for restricted free agents like Zach Benson and Peyton Krebs.
If they can trade Norris, it gives them a much better chance of keeping all three players.
Ryan McLeod
Ryan McLeod also has a no-trade clause that will kick in with five teams, but it isn't as much of a concern as the other players on this list. The reason is that his no-trade clause begins next summer ahead of the 2027-28 season.
McLeod was excellent in the regular season for the Sabres with 54 points and led the league in short-handed goals with five. However, he struggled in the playoffs with only five points and a +/- of -7, which might make him potentially available in trade discussions.
Among the players on this list, McLeod is probably the least likely to be moved, and the Sabres aren't going to actively shop him. However, if they get a call and the offer makes sense, it wouldn't be surprising if he were traded this offseason.
The Buffalo Sabres general manager is going to have options this summer in terms of how he approaches adding to this roster. It is unclear at this point what those moves might be but certainly keeping track of players' no-trade clauses could make the job easier down the road.
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