The weight of the Buffalo Sabres' NHL-record postseason drought gets heavier with each passing year, and few teams find themselves under the same amount of pressure to win – and win now.
With that in mind, general manager Kevyn Adams and the Sabres enter a critical offseason with six restricted free agents and a key forward eligible for a contract extension. For a team that has consistently fallen short of expectations on and off the ice, the Sabres are under immense pressure to make all the right decisions this offseason.
Trade or extend Alex Tuch?
Star forward Alex Tuch is available to sign a contract extension beginning July 1, so it would behoove Adams to come to a decision sooner rather than later on whether or not Tuch fits into the team's long-term picture.
If he doesn't, Buffalo needs to consider trading him while he can still net a valuable return instead of letting him walk for nothing at the end of the year. The longer the Sabres wait to determine what Tuch's future is with the franchise, the more leverage they lose in a potential trade.
Given that Tuch is coming off a 2024-25 season in which he posted 34 goals and 64 points (all while making just $4.75 million), the 29-year-old has tremendous value for a forward in his prime. He does have a modified no-trade clause that allows him to veto a move to five teams of his choosing, but that still leaves 26 teams for the Sabres to work with.
While they may ultimately choose to extend him, it would be foolish not to at least explore the trade market for Tuch this offseason.
What to do with JJ Peterka and Bowen Byram?
JJ Peterka, Bowen Byram, Ryan McLeod, and Jack Quinn are among Buffalo's notable restricted free agents this offseason, with Peterka and Byram in particular drawing substantial interest from other teams. The Sabres aren't necessarily looking to move either player; but as a team under tremendous pressure to contend, they need to be open to shaking up their roster if the right offer comes along.
Peterka in particular is a 23-year-old winger coming off a career-best 68 point season, and the Sabres reportedly remain committed to keeping him. That hasn't done anything to dissuade teams from asking about him, though, and he is arguably Buffalo's most valuable trade chip.
If the Sabres were to consider trading Peterka, though, it would need to a true "hockey trade" that helps them get better now, rather than a future-based package.
Trade the No. 9 overall pick?
The Sabres traded their first-round pick at the draft last year, and that possibility should be on the table again in 2025. Again, the Sabres are under pressure to win now, and the No. 9 pick in this year's draft isn't going to help them do that. If they can leverage their pick and trade back in the order to net an NHL player in return, then they should absolutely consider it.
Of course, the supply-and-demand equation at the draft won't be entirely under the Sabres' control. But if they can find the right trade partner further down in the draft order, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Sabres trade down in the first round for the second year in a row.
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