The Buffalo Sabres are slowly seeing their season slip away, and it is tough to really assess this roster with all the injuries they have had to deal with. As of now, Kevyn Adams is still the general manager, and it doesn't seem they are ready to make a move (although they should).
There needs to be some urgency on the part of Buffalo to turn their season around, and that means they might have to start making some moves. It could also be a smart move on the part of Buffalo to try and make a few trades, as there aren't many teams that are sellers or willing to part with NHL players, but there are plenty of teams that could be looking to add.
When looking at the team, these are five players who the Buffalo Sabres could trade to shake up their roster.
5 players the Buffalo Sabres should consider including in trade discussions
Alexandar Georgiev
The first is a player who has already been rumored to be available in former All-Star Alexandar Georgiev. The Sabres signed him at the start of training camp when Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was dealing with an injury that was going to limit him.
Georgiev had an up-and-down preseason and was eventually put on waivers after the Sabres claimed Colten Ellis. He would clear waivers and has spent the beginning of the season with the Rochester Americans and has appeared in two games with a goals against average of 3.57 and a save percentage of .896.
It seems unlikely that the Sabres are going to get much in return for him, based on what he did in the preseason and now at the AHL level. However, teams always seem to be looking for goaltending and Georgiev at one point was playing at a high level.
It wouldn't be surprising at all if he were the first player traded, and unless he is part of a package, it won't do much to help the NHL roster.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Georgiev shouldn't be the only goalie the Buffalo Sabres try to trade, but moving Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen might be the tougher task. The Sabres' former starter has had a tough start to the season, as he has already dealt with two injuries that forced him to miss almost the entire preseason and the first part of the regular season.
Luukkonen has now played in three games and has a 1-1-1 record, but has a save percentage of .863 and a goals against average of 2.99 in 5v5 according to Natural Stat Trick. Among the three goalies on the Sabres roster, he has a Goals Saved Above Average of -2.66, while Colten Ellis is at 0.23 and Alex Lyon is 2.02.
There is undoubtedly plenty working against the Sabres in any trade discussions around Luukkonen. He hasn't played well and has three years remaining on his contract after this season with an AAV of $4.75 million.
Similar to Georgiev, teams are always looking for goaltenders and might be willing to take a flyer on Luukkonen. However, any return won't be much, and the goal for Buffalo is to free up cap space and a roster spot with this type of move.
Peyton Krebs
Peyton Krebs is currently in his fifth season with the Buffalo Sabres after being acquired as part of the Jack Eichel trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. He is currently in the final year of his contract and is set to be a restricted free agent after this season.
During his tenure with the Sabres, Krebs has been good but not necessarily great. He has settled into a bottom six role and could be an intriguing option for teams looking for depth.
This past season, he had a career season as he finished with 10 goals and 18 assists, both career-highs. However, this season he has gotten off to a slow start and has only three assists in 15 games.
Alex Tuch
Any potential trade ideas surrounding the Buffalo Sabres, Alex Tuch is probably going to be mentioned. He is currently in the final year of his contract, and the Sabres haven't been able to reach an agreement on a new long-term contract.
The last thing they want to do is let Tuch leave in free agency and not receive anything in return. However, if they trade Tuch they essentially signal they are giving up on the season as they would be trading arguably their third-best player, after Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson.
It wouldn't be surprising to see the Buffalo Sabres at least pick up the phone when teams call about Tuch to hear the offer. He certainly would bring the biggest return in any trades and has played well this season with six goals and eight assists.
However, the Sabres would be clearly heading towards another rebuild with that type of move and Kevyn Adams probably won't do that as he needs the team to win now.
Bo Byram
Among the players on this list, the player who might be the most likely to be traded that could realistically have the biggest impact is Bo Byram. He was a restricted free agent this summer and the topic of a lot of trade rumors, but the Sabres were able to agree to a two-year deal to bring him back.
Unfortunately, it has been an ugly start to the season for Byram and he has gone from being on the top pair to now playing on the third pair. He is last among Sabres defensemen in 5v5 situations with a xGF% of 46.14%, according to Natural Stat Trick.
The Sabres might have missed their window to get the best return for Byram, but they might still be able to get a decent forward, ideally someone who can play center, in return. Byram is still young and under contract only through next season, which could be enough for a team to believe he can play better than what he has shown.