Yeah, this one might sound off the wall, let’s have some fun for a change and just speculate. Why not, right? The Buffalo Sabres, when you really dig deep, aren’t as bad as their 13-game losing streak showed. And yeah, before you grill me on this one, I get it: They’re the worst team in the East and the third-worst team in the league as far as points go.
So how can one measly trade make this a relevant hockey team again, especially when they lost by five goals to the lowly Montreal Canadiens before dropping their next two? It’s because the Sabres were still competitive in a lot of hockey games, including losses to the Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, Detroit Red Wings, New York Islanders (second time around), and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
That’s seven games that could have gone to either team. We also know that the Sabres can get red-hot, something that was indeed the case before this 11-game debacle. Further, while we’re approaching midseason, it’s still early enough for the team to make things right.
Plus, even if it doesn’t look like it, the Blue and Gold are in win-now mode with Kevyn Adams on the hot seat, or at least he should be, and Lindy Ruff up there in age. That said, while I wouldn’t be surprised to see this team become “sellers” at some point, it also wouldn’t surprise me if they became buyers.
Buffalo Sabres could pull off a blockbuster deal with an in-state rival
Notice, I said ‘in state’ and not ‘division,’ so we’re talking about two teams here: the NY Islanders and the NY Rangers. With the Blueshirts looking like a team that doesn’t mind moving some players around at the moment, the Sabres could get some serious help in a deal that would be a win-win situation for both franchises.
Lately, the Blueshirts have traded two players of note: Jacob Trouba and Kaapo Kakko. Plus, general manager Chris Drury is in a similar position as Kevyn Adams, so both teams are facing a sense of urgency. This wouldn’t be a ‘buyer’ or ‘seller’ deal, but one in which both struggling teams would conduct that would make them both better off.
This potential deal would involve the Blueshirts sending Chris Kreider to the Sabres, a forward who’s been struggling in New York all season with just 12 points in 30 games. However, 11 of those points are goals, and the Sabres are in dire need of someone who can score at will AND can land them top-six minutes.
Not only does Kreider check both boxes; he would also fit well into head coach Lindy Ruff’s style. In return the Sabres can send help to New York in the form of Jack Quinn and Sam Lafferty.
Quinn has shown that he’s not a good fit in Lindy Ruff’s system, but he’s also proven he can be a top-six forward in the right system. Lafferty also hasn’t looked like an ideal fit in Buffalo, but he would provide depth and a physical edge in New York.
Why this trade could still save the Sabres
While one obstacle would involve Chris Kreider’s 15-team no-trade clause, he also needs a change of scenery fast. No, Buffalo wouldn’t be the most ideal place to play, but Kreider would also be joining a team that hasn’t been as bad as its recent stretch implies.
He’d also immediately find a spot in the top six, and he’d likely play on a line that involves the hard-hitting and tenacious Dylan Cozens. Kreider also showed us over the past three seasons he can be a lethal scorer, and one capable of putting 50-plus into the net.
Yeah, imagine if he agreed to play in Buffalo and immediately gelled with the Blue and Gold. And for those of you who would say, “he’d never play in Buffalo,” just look at Jacob Trouba, who’s playing for the Anaheim Ducks.
Yeah, Anaheim may have some warm weather, but still, a player of Trouba’s caliber would more likely go to a more relevant team. That hasn’t been the case, so I wouldn’t rule out a Kreider trade and one that would bring a potentially elite scorer to Buffalo.