Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen didn't want to rock the boat while the team was surging up the Eastern Conference standings, but the time to aggressively pursue trades will arrive as soon as the NHL's roster freeze for the 2026 Winter Olympics comes to an end.
The Sabres have cooled off, losing three of their last four games before the Olympic break, and their most concerning weaknesses are starting to cause on-ice problems. They could use another top-six forward and some defensive depth before the NHL trade deadline on March 6.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported Friday one of those roster needs is already on Kekalainen's radar.
"I could see them adding a beefier blueliner, if possible," Friedman wrote.
Buffalo has been forced to place essentially the entire defensive burden on Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson and Bowen Byram because their other blueliners, including Michael Kesselring, Jacob Bryson and Zach Metsa, have struggled. Conor Timmins is injured.
Adding at least one defensively responsible, battle-tested piece to their defense corps would help head coach Lindy Ruff feel more confident is spreading out the minutes. It'd also be nice if the player brought some playoff experience to the Sabres locker room.
Could the Buffalo Sabres make Winnipeg Jets defenseman Luke Schenn a trade deadline target?
A look at the latest NHL trade board from Chris Johnston of The Athletic suggests the Winnipeg Jets' Luke Schenn, ranked as the seventh-best player available ahead of the deadline, is a potential target who'd check all the boxes for Buffalo.
Schenn is 36 years old, owns a team-friendly $2.75 million salary-cap hit, possesses 58 games of postseason experience and has dished out an eye-popping 3,790 hits across 1,114 career games. He's also an impending unrestricted free agent, leaving no financial burden beyond 2025-26.
The 6-foot-2 Canadian, who won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021, could also bolster the Sabres' penalty kill. It's an area where the club has witnessed a substantial drop off while Timmins has been sidelined.
Schenn ranks 23rd among 138 NHL defensemen (minimum 50 minutes played) in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) on the penalty kill at 7.38, according to Natural Stat Trick.
The 2008 first-round draft pick doesn't bring much offense to the table — six points (one goal and five assists) in 42 appearances this season — but the Blue and Gold are getting plenty of offensive involvement from other members of their defense group.
He'd also create the option for Ruff to spread out his defensive talent rather than piling it all in the top four, as has been the case recently. It could look something like this:
Left Defense | Right Defense |
|---|---|
Mattias Samuelsson | Rasmus Dahlin |
Owen Power | Michael Kesselring or Conor Timmins |
Bowen Byram | Luke Schenn |
In addition, having either Kesselring, who's struggled to find top form while battling through a variety of injuries this season, or Timmins as a seventh defenseman would be far more palatable come playoff time than either Bryson or Metsa.
Buffalo should be able to acquire Schenn without moving any significant pieces, too. A middle-round pick would probably be enough as Winnipeg fades from the playoff race.
All told, Schenn isn't a perfect player but he's an intriguing match based on both what the Sabres are trying to do right now (secure their first postseason berth since 2011) and moving toward the future (maintain financial flexibility heading into the offseason).
It's a name for Kekalainen to keep in mind as the deadline approaches after the Olympic break.