The Buffalo Sabres have spent the past week welcoming four new players — Sam Carrick, Logan Stanley, Luke Schenn and Tanner Pearson — to the organization in wake of the 2026 NHL trade deadline last Friday.
It led Josh Norris to recollect his arrival to Buffalo last year, when the Ottawa Senators sent the University of Michigan product and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker to the Sabres in exchange for fellow center Dylan Cozens, blueliner Dennis Gilbert and a 2026 second-round draft pick.
"Sometimes you get caught off guard, and I definitely got caught off guard," Norris told John Matisz of The Score ahead of Thursday night's game against the Washington Capitals.
The 2021 NHL All-Rookie Team selection signed an eight-year, $63.6 million contract extension with the Sens in July 2022 and thought he was still in the club's long-term plans.
Instead, Norris got alerted about a potential trade but was kept in the dark about his destination for awhile, which added to the anxiety of a deadline move.
"Shit. Where am I going? They didn't tell me the team until about a half hour later," the 26-year-old forward told Matisz.
Although Norris has been unable to shake his longtime injury issues since joining the Sabres, he's been highly effective when healthy. He's recorded 23 points (nine goals and 14 assists) in 27 appearances for Buffalo this season.
Could Josh Norris land on the Buffalo Sabres trade block during the 2026 NHL offseason?
Norris has flashed the potential to become a cornerstone piece for the Sabres, but his inability to stay on the ice for extended periods will always be a concern. It may lead him to have more of a nomadic career than he'd prefer.
From Buffalo's perspective, a decision may loom after the season because it'll represent the last opportunity for general manager Jarmo Kekalainen to move the high-upside center before his 10-team no-trade clause goes into effect before the 2026-27 campaign.
Norris has already saw his name pop back up in the rumor mill.
NHL insider Andy Strickland reported before last week's deadline that Norris was a "name you hear" on the market as the Sabres were hunting a big trade that never materialized.
On Monday, TSN's Darren Dreger noted Kekalainen was chasing St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas but "it was Norris that he didn't want to include, so he backed off."
Buffalo ultimately decided not to shake things up too significantly, which is understandable since it's been the league's hottest team since early December, but some tough decisions are on the horizon over the summer.
The Sabres have a limited amount of projected salary-cap space available for 2026-27 ($13.2 million, per PuckPedia), and they'd like to re-sign Alex Tuch, if possible. The star winger's reported asking price is around $10.5 million annually.
Add in potentially making another run at Thomas, who carries an $8.125 million cap hit, and there simply isn't enough money available.
Trading Norris ($7.95 million cap hit) would open up some valuable space if Kekalainen doesn't view the injury-prone playmaker as part of the club's long-term core.
For now, he'll remain an important piece of the puzzle as the red-hot Sabres attempt to officially clinch the franchise's first playoff berth since 2011, and then potentially make a deep postseason run.
Buffalo, which owned last place in the Eastern Conference in early December, is now just two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the top spot in the East standings.