It was good news, bad news on Tuesday night. The good news was the Sabres won their sixth game in a row. The bad news was they were eliminated from playoff contention for the 14th straight season. Now, as they finish the year, they will have to look toward the future and see what assets they want to retain and build around for next season.
One player is right winger, JJ Peterka. The 23-year-old has the most points in his career and his second on the team in assists. With just five games remaining, he has 62 points on the season. This is 12 more than a year ago. He also has missed five games this year, compared to none in the 2024/2025 season.
As Buffalo is looking to finish the season right, they will be looking at every player and option to build around or move on from to get into the playoffs next year. Peterka could be a valuable asset for the team. His ability to generate chances this year has been a bright spot for the Sabres.
Peterka has nine points over the last 10 games.
While Buffalo has come on strong and made a late season push, Peterka has shown to be a valuable part of that push. In an impressive 8-5 victory against the Washington Capitals, he had two assists on the power play.
This season in 10 less games than a year ago, his aggressive play has also been more evident. He has 29 hits on the year compared to 27 last year. This also is evident in the power play as Peterka has 10 points when the Sabres are up a player on the ice.
He is a restricted free agent entering this offseason. Restricted free agency means another team can offer him a contract, however the Sabres can either match or decline that offer. Peterka has emerged as an important piece on the ice and Buffalo would be hard pressed not to resign him.
His currently only makes $855,000 a year and even if he was looking to make seven figures, it would not be a major cap hit for the Sabres. He has improved each season, and they can only hope he will take an even bigger step if they resign him for next season.
Peterka's season is an important reminder that the Sabres have pieces in place to make a run. If they play more consistent and build around a player such as Peterka they should be able to break their postseason drought next year.