The Buffalo Sabres were a part of plenty of rumors leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline last week and were able to complete a few trades before the deadline. While they did make a few depth trades to help their roster, they didn't make a big splash like they would have if they traded for Robert Thomas with the St. Louis Blues.
That was a deal the Sabres were discussing with the Blues a few days before the trade deadline, and ultimately decided they didn't want to offer what St. Louis needed to move the 26-year-old center. However, it seemed like the deal was really close, according to one NHL insider, who named the one player they didn't want to give up.
Buffalo Sabres reportedly didn't want to include Josh Norris as part of the trade
On Monday, Darren Dreger was on First Up on TSN1050 and mentioned the trade discussions between the Sabres and Blues, "[Jarmo Kekalainen] was deep in Robby Thomas trade talks, deep like four significant pieces. My understanding, I think it was [Josh] Norris that he didn't want to include, so he backed off."
Any trade for Robert Thomas was going to be costly, and it was reported that the Blues were looking for the equivalent of multiple first-round picks. At the time of the rumors, I put together a proposed trade package that included Konsta Helenius, Isak Rosen, the 2026 first-round pick, and Norris.
The reason Norris was included was that he has a big cap hit near $8 million, and any trade the Sabres wanted to do, they were going to need cap space. If they had included Norris, it would have helped not only this season but future seasons.
In addition to the cap space, Norris has struggled to stay healthy, and while he has been great on the ice, it is tough to rely on a player with his injury history. When considering all those factors, along with the questions of where Norris and Thomas would fit in the same lineup with Ryan McLeod and Tage Thompson at center already, it seems odd that this was the player to cost them the trade.
The other parts of the trade package seem logical, as the Sabres offered a first-round pick in the failed Colton Parayko trade. The Sabres also would trade Isak Rosen to the Winnipeg Jets as part of the Logan Stanley trade.
However, the main piece in that trade would have had to be Helenius, as he is the Sabres' top prospect. It is hard to imagine the Sabres being able to complete a trade for Thomas without including a franchise's top prospect.
The early returns on the moves the Buffalo Sabres made have been great, as Sam Carrick and Logan Stanley have already made an impact. The other two players, Luke Schenn and Tanner Pearson, haven't appeared in a game yet, but are veteran pieces that solidify this roster. Fans will never know, but it is something that could leave them wondering what could have been if Kekalainen was willing to give up Norris.