Until the Buffalo Sabres are able to decide one way or the other with Alex Tuch, whether to sign him or let him test free agency, they are going to be in a holding pattern. If the Sabres do end up not being able to re-sign him, the focus for Jarmo Kekalainen should shift to adding a Top 6 center. Unfortunately, one player that won't be an option is Robert Thomas, who reportedly is no longer on the trade block for the St. Louis Blues.
The addition of a Top 6 center strengthens the team up the middle but also moves Tage Thompson to the wing, which is where he had success late in the playoffs.
There is no question that it is easier said than done, as top centers are incredibly valuable, but bringing in a veteran doesn't put as much pressure on the younger centers like Jiri Kulich, Noah Ostlund, and Konsta Helenius to have to step in right away as the center on the first or second line.
When looking around the league, these are five centers who could fill that void on the first or second line and be an upgrade for the Buffalo Sabres going into next season.
Dylan Larkin
The best move for the Sabres is also the most difficult, as Dylan Larkin is exactly the type of player they would be looking to add to address the need. The Red Wings' captain recently requested a trade after Detroit missed the playoffs for the 10th straight season.
Over the past five seasons, Larkin has been one of the more consistent centers in the league with at least 67 points each season and 30 or more goals. He has been a force on the power play with 13 or more goals in each of the past four seasons and helps the Sabres in the faceoff circle with a career win percentage of 52.8%.
The reason a trade for Larkin is probably the toughest is that the Red Wings are competing directly with the Sabres in the Atlantic Division and for a playoff spot. The last thing that Steve Yzerman probably wants to do is make a division rival stronger, but if the Sabres give them the best offer and Larkin agrees to waive his no-trade clause, he may not have much choice.
Mason McTavish
Mason McTavish looked like a potential trade candidate last summer as the player and the Anaheim Ducks struggled to come to an agreement on a new contract. They eventually got there with a new six-year deal, but McTavish struggled under Joel Quenneville as he had a career-low in points with 41 and saw his ice time drop from 16:53 to 15:19.
However, the third-overall pick from the 2021 NHL Draft is only 23 years old and still has plenty of great hockey ahead of him. He is entering only the second year of that new six-year contract with an AAV of $7 million. With a salary cap that is rising, this is a reasonable salary for a player who has already shown that he can be a Top 6 center.
Vincent Trocheck
Most of the players on this list are just entering their prime, but Vincent Trocheck is one who is older at 32 years old. However, he can still be a Top 6 center for a season or two before moving to the third or fourth line.
Trocheck doesn't provide the goal scoring that Larkin might, but he does a lot of the little things that make a team successful. The most notable is an excellent faceoff win percentage of 56.9% and a key part of the Rangers' penalty kill.
While he is still under contract for three more seasons, he has a reasonable AAV of $5.6 million that might make him the biggest value of any of these players on this list.
Mathew Barzal
Even though the New York Islanders didn't make the playoffs, they certainly seem to be a team on the rise, led by rookie Matthew Schaefer. However, they are also in a salary cap crunch, and it is one of the reasons they are considering moving a player like Mathew Barzal, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen.
Barzal has been close to a point-per-game center with 534 career points in 611 games and is under contract for five more seasons, but with an AAV of $9.15 million.
For the Sabres, they are also dealing with their own salary cap issues, so a move for Barzal might not make sense unless they can send salary back in a trade. However, that doesn't necessarily help the Islanders either. He also has struggled in the faceoff circle and might not help Buffalo as Larkin or Vincent Trocheck might.
Even with the concerns, Barzal does provide enough in the offensive zone that it is worth a call to see if a trade can be made.
Nico Hischier
The final player on this list is one that Lindy Ruff knows well in the New Jersey Devils' Nico Hischier, as he was his head coach from 2020 through 2024. The former first overall pick had some of the best seasons of his career under Ruff, including being the runner-up for the Selke Trophy in 2023.
Hischier is under contract for one more season, and the two sides are discussing a new contract. However, if the Devils feel they can't agree on a new deal, then they may explore trading him
There is no question that any trade for Hischier would be costly, and there is the additional complication of having to negotiate a new contract, which likely would be close to $11 million AAV. For the Sabres, though, it wouldn't begin until 2027-28, and they have more cap space to potentially offer that type of contract.
While the Buffalo Sabres aren't going to be able to acquire Robert Thomas, they still have plenty of options going the route of a trade to upgrade the center position for their first or second line.
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