3 reasons the Sabres must trade for Pavel Buchnevich
With one year remaining on his contract and the Sabres still boasting quite a bit of cap space, Pavel Buchnevich could find himself playing in another blue uniform for the 2024-25 season. His name has once again come up in the rumor mill, and Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams still needs to address his top-six, so trying to acquire a proven talent like Buchnevich should grace the top of his priority list.
Buchnevich initially made a name for himself with the New York Rangers, where he put up a solid 195 points and 79 goals in 301 games. He proved to be a good asset on the power play, and he also showed off some physicality, finishing his time in New York with 257 hits.
He then moved on to the St. Louis Blues in a trade that also involved a second-round pick and Sammy Blais, who ironically became his teammate in the 2022-23 season. His time with the Blues has also been rather stellar, as Buchnevich has so far put up nearly a point per game in the Gateway to the West, with 206 in 216 contests.
He’s logged 83 goals over the past three seasons, good for 27.7 per year, and his overall shooting percentage since arriving in Gateway City sits at a remarkable 15.7. He’s also still a rather physical player and one who is good at stealing pucks and setting his team up with scoring sequences.
Why would St. Louis want to trade Pavel Buchnevich to the Sabres?
When you look at the Blues, they’re a team that just missed the playoffs this past season, so you may ask why general manager Doug Armstrong would want to trade such a luxury asset. St. Louis has been revamping their roster over the past two seasons, looking to become a younger team, so that would leave players like Buchnevich to find a place on the trade block.
But why would it make sense for Kevyn Adams to trade what would likely be at least a first-round pick, an A-prospect, and at worst, a B-prospect for the 29-year-old? There are three reasons to discuss, as Buchnevich would help the Blue and Gold in a few ways.