The Buffalo Sabres have been linked to Columbus Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov as part of a potential blockbuster deal, according to the Fourth Period’s 2025 Summer Trade List.
Voronkov’s name was recently added to the Trade List as information has leaked about the Blue Jackets including Voronkov as part of a trade package for former New York Islanders blue liner Noah Dobson.
The Islanders traded Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for two first-round picks.
But just because the Blue Jacks didn’t land Dobson this summer doesn’t mean Voronkov’s name is off the table. In fact, the Fourth Period reports that the Blue Jackets could be willing to use Voronkov as leverage in a bigger deal.
Enter the Buffalo Sabres.
The Sabres have been active this offseason. The club pulled off a major trade, sending JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth. The Sabres were the subject of trade speculation involving Bowen Byram. That speculation has died down after Byram and the Sabres agreed to terms on a two-year deal.
However, the talk around the league is that Byram could still be available. Does that mean the Blue Jackets and Sabres could swap Byram for Voronkov? We won’t venture that far in this discussion, but it’s certainly an intriguing possibility.
The Blue Jackets are looking to upgrade in any way they can, while the Sabres are looking to add pieces to help the team win now.
Sabres-Blue Jackets trade would be a win-win
This Sabres-Blue Jackets trade could be a win-win, depending on who goes which way, of course. Assuming the Blue Jackets sent Voronkov to the Sabres, Buffalo gets a solid top-six forward with the potential to become a bona fide star in Buffalo.
As for Columbus, if Byram goes the other way, they get a blue liner who can support Zach Weresnki. A Weresnki-Byram duo could become one of the best in the NHL.
But if Byram isn’t part of the return for Columbus, Mattias Samuelsson could be another name to watch out for. The Fourth Period has also listed Samuelsson on its Summer Trade List. So, Samuelsson could be another Buffalo blue liner of interest to the Blue Jackets.
The issue here is that a Voronkov-for-Samuelsson trade might seem lopsided. But then again, the Blue Jackets would be getting a versatile top-four defenseman who could play on both sides. That’s a valuable commodity for any team in the NHL.
The most interesting part of this entire discussion is that neither club is particularly compelled to make this trade happen. If it does, it will be because both teams have specific needs that could be solved by pulling the trigger on a deal.