The Buffalo Sabres could seemingly be the biggest wild card over the next few weeks ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. For the first time in over a decade, the Sabres aren't just playing for 'next year, ' but rather they are firmly in the mix for a playoff spot this season.
On top of that, the Sabres have a new general manager in Jarmo Kekalainen, and he has historically been aggressive during his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets. These two factors should be signals that they will be aggressive at the trade deadline, as some insiders are signaling.
However, it remains to be seen exactly what that means, and Kekalainen might look to a deep prospect pool to help their chances at a playoff spot this season. When examining the Buffalo Sabres' current roster in Rochester, three players stand out as potential trade candidates.
Isak Rosen
One of the top players that the Buffalo Sabres could offer in a trade is forward Isak Rosen. The 14th overall pick from the 2021 NHL Draft has had a pretty impressive season, whether in Buffalo or down at the AHL level.
Earlier this season, Rosen got an extended look with the Sabres due to injuries and would have three goals and four assists in 13 games. As the team got healthier, Rosen was sent down to Rochester but has continued to be very productive with 14 goals and 10 assists in 18 games.
He is a player who has proven he can contribute at the NHL level but the Sabres don't really have a clear path to ice time for him. Rosen is exactly the type of player that teams looking to rebuild would want in return for a veteran.
Anton Wahlberg
Another player who could be of interest in trade discussions is forward Anton Wahlberg, who was a second round pick by the Sabres in the 2023 NHL Draft. He has yet to make his NHL debut but has been a full-time AHL player since last season when he had 30 points in 63 games.
This season, Wahlberg is on pace to surpass those totals as he already has four goals and 11 assists in 15 games. He doesn't have the upside of Rosen, but he has the size to play an NHL-level game at 6'3". He is probably a player who can do some of the dirty work that makes teams successful and settle into a Bottom-6 role in the NHL.
Devon Levi
The last player might be surprising, but it might be time for the Buffalo Sabres to have a serious discussion about whether or not they believe Devon Levi can be their future starting goalie. After an impressive jump from the NCAA to the NHL at the end of the 2022-23 season, Levi hasn't necessarily regressed but hasn't improved to justify stepping into the full-time starter role for Buffalo.
This season in particular he has been inconsistent and in 22 starts for Rochester, he has a goals against average of 2.92 and a save percentage of .903. When he is at his best, he is unbeatable but unfortunately he has had some ugly games and eight of his 22 starts he has allowed four or more goals, including two of his past three starts.
There are plenty of teams looking to add to the goaltender position and if the Sabres are willing to stick with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who is under contract for four more seasons after this one, it makes sense to try and move Levi before his value takes too much of a hit.