Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen mostly used draft picks to secure key depth additions — Sam Carrick, Logan Stanley, Luke Schenn and Tanner Pearson — ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline, but he also dealt two active players: winger Isak Rosen and defenseman Jacob Bryson.
Rosen and Bryson both joined the Winnipeg Jets, alongside a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 second-round selection, in exchange for Stanley and Schenn on March 6.
The former Sabres have so far struggled across their first three weeks in Winnipeg.
Rosen, who'd tallied seven points in 16 games for Buffalo this season while spending most of his time with the AHL's Rochester Americans, has posted one goal and no assists in 10 appearances for the Jets. He's only managed eight shots on goal in those contests.
Bryson, who spent six years as the Sabres' No. 7 defenseman, has no goals, one assist, two blocked shots and a minus-four rating across seven games for the Western Conference club.
The underlying numbers aren't too favorable, either. Rosen's expected goals for percentage (xGF%) at 5-on-5 stands at 45.8%, while Bryson is close behind at 45.4%, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Although the sample size remains small — it'd be nice to see Rosen get an extended look in Winnipeg's top six if the team is ultimately eliminated from playoff contention with games remaining — the Jets were probably hoping for a bigger instant impact from the arrivals.
Logan Stanley is finding his stride with the Buffalo Sabres while new Winnipeg Jets sputter
Sabres fans started to show some concern as Stanley was slow to acclimate to the Eastern Conference contenders' up-tempo style of play, especially in the games where he played alongside Schenn, but he turned a corner during the squad's recent four-game road trip.
The 6-foot-7, 231-pound defender has recorded two assists, seven blocked shots, five hits and a plus-three rating in seven appearances for Buffalo. The Blue and Gold have outscored opponents 4-2 when he's been on the ice at 5-on-5.
"It's an awesome group," Stanley told reporters Tuesday. "Everyone's kind of a similar age, and they've been really good to me and welcoming, and that's made it easy, too."
The Sabres definitely needed just a touch more snarl in the lineup as they prepare for a potential deep run in the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs. Stanley and Carrick, who's put up six points (five goals) in nine games as the fourth-line center, have brought that to the table.
Schenn probably won't see too much more ice time this season unless Buffalo is expecting a brawl-filled game (April 6 vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning) or an injury crisis arises. He's purely depth and will likely hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
Stanley could be something more, though. It's possible Kekalainen views him as a long-term option on the third defensive pair, which would require a contract extension since the 27-year-old Canadian is also an impending UFA.
Ultimately, it'll be several years before any final declarations can be made about the Sabres-Jets trade because of the draft picks involved.
The early returns — Stanley's emergence as a possible impact player combined with the underwhelming performance of Rosen and Bryson — are looking good for Buffalo, though.