During the Buffalo Sabres' playoff drought, they have found themselves picking early in NHL Drafts. It has resulted in high-profile prospects, and the Sabres have patiently waited for them to develop into key contributors.
Coming out of the Olympic break later this month, trade talks around the league are going to pick up quickly. The Buffalo Sabres should be right in the mix as Jarmo Kekalainen, who was named general manager in the middle of December, will be focused on adding to the roster to make a push towards a playoff spot.
This is a major departure from where Buffalo has been in recent seasons, as they have typically been sellers. When looking at the roster, they have to balance improving the team without disrupting the chemistry they have.
For Kekalainen, he will need to be selective on who he trades, but also weigh the fact that there are several players who are playing some of their best hockey and could bring back a sizable return. When looking at the roster, these are four players that have seen their value increase this season that the Sabres might not be actively looking to trade, but would listen if the offer was right.
Jack Quinn
This season felt very much make-or-break for Jack Quinn as the former first-round pick had struggled to make a consistent impact in the three seasons prior to this one. Quinn got off a slow start this season, but since the beginning of January, it feels like it has finally come together for the forward.
Over the last 18 games leading up to the Olympic break, Quinn has five goals and 10 assists, and an assist in each of the last three games. Through 57 games, he has already set a career-high in assists with 25 and is only three goals off of his career-high in that category as well.
It is certainly possible that Jarmo Kekalainen still considers trading Quinn at the deadline for an upgrade on the roster. However, the asking price in any trade involving Quinn has gone up this season.
Owen Power
Owen Power was another player who it seemed like patience was running out for everything to come together for him. As the first overall pick, there is no question that expectations were sky-high, and entering this season, the thought was that playing next to Michael Kesselring could be the missing piece.
While Power hasn't played much next to Kesselring due to Kesselring's injuries, he has certainly taken that next step, especially in the defensive zone. So far this season, his xG% has jumped almost four percentage points over last season to 51.34% with High-Danger Chances For Percentage going from 45.96% to 52.45% in 5v5 situations, according to Natural Stat Trick.
The Buffalo Sabres probably won't be actively shopping Power, especially with the injuries on the blueline this season, but if a team does call, the starting point in trade discussions is much higher.
Bowen Byram
Owen Power isn't the only defenseman who has shown improvements this season, as Bowen Byram has also been playing much better as of late. Byram returned to Buffalo this season on a two-year deal after being a restricted free agent in the offseason and through 57 games is one goal away from his career-best and already tied his career-high in assists.
There is no question this is the type of performance the Buffalo Sabres believed Byram was capable of after trading for him during the 2023-24 season and then re-signing him this summer. Similar to Power, the Sabres are not going to be looking to trade Byram, but if a team calls, the return would probably be greater than it was during the summer.
Colten Ellis
The Buffalo Sabres still have three goalies on the roster, and while Jarmo Kekalainen talked about the need to move one back in the middle of December when introduced as general manager, it has ended up being a blessing in disguise. The reason is that since that point, each of the goalies has missed extended time due to injuries.
It remains to be seen what the Sabres ultimately do coming out of the Olympic break, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen expected to be ready to return. They may end up wanting to keep all three goalies, but if they do trade one, it likely would be Colten Ellis.
The Sabres claimed Ellis off waivers at the start of the season after he was waived by the St. Louis Blues. The former third-round pick had yet to play in an NHL game in his career, but almost from the start showed at worst, he is a quality back-up and at best a goalie who can be a starter for an extended period.
Through 13 games this season, 12 starts, Ellis has gone 7-4-1 with a save percentage of .896 and a goals against average of 3.11. With a number of teams seemingly needing a goalie, Ellis could be a popular player in trade discussions. As is the case with all the players on the list, the Sabres don't have to trade, but could listen as the return would be higher than at the beginning of the season.
The pressure is on Jarmo Kekalainen as he enters his first trade deadline with the Buffalo Sabres to make the needed moves to get this team to the playoffs. The Sabres have plenty of players that would generate interest around the league, and these four players have helped the general manager with their performance, if he decides to move them, to bring back a big return.