We know JJ Peterka’s been on everyone’s mind lately. And for Buffalo Sabres fans, this is awful news. Peterka looks like general manager Kevyn Adams’ best draft pick, but he also looks like the next one to pull a Jack Eichel and/or Sam Reinhart.
Or, at least he’ll draw comparisons should the Sabres trade him. And yeah, it’d be a major blow for a team that thought it had another brewing star to build around. But it’s looking more and more like Sabres fans will watch Peterka playing in another uniform next season.
But would it be all doom and gloom? It’s hard to get excited over this. Next to Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, there’s nobody. Jason Zucker and Ryan McLeod are good, but they’re better used as a solid supporting cast.
Jack Quinn and Joshua Norris have had a tough time staying outta the trainer’s room. And when Quinn’s been healthy, his performance has been, well, marginal. Zach Benson’s underperformed. Jordan Greenway’s been injured. Beck Malenstyn hasn’t lived to expectations. Are we having fun yet?
There could be some hope…maybe…
Here’s an idea: The Chicago Blackhawks and the third overall pick. No, there aren’t any immediate game-changers between James Hagens, Porter Martone, and Anton Frondell, among other potential top-five picks. But the Blue and Gold would land a potential franchise player with that pick in time.
So, Peterka for the third pick? Not saying it would be a straight-up swap, but it’d be a good place to kick off trade negotiations. And you need to start somewhere, so why not at least call up Kyle Davidson and give him an offer?
Imagine someone like Hagens playing alongside Tage Thompson if he factors in as a winger at the NHL level. Ditto for Frondell, while Martone’s already a winger and he’s got the size to compete tomorrow. And no, before you jump to conclusions, I ain’t endorsing that he plays the minute he’s drafted.
Anyway, I’d be more than happy to see any of the three land with the Sabres and look to be that player to turn the organization around.
Not an obstacle, but an opportunity to rescue the Sabres
Yeah, imagine being that prospect, looking to play in a market like New York or Chicago, only to end up in small-market Buffalo and with a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in forever. They’ve never won a Stanley Cup, and you can even go as far as to say they’re historically bad.
But, some draft prospects would find that intriguing. It’d be an opportunity to go in there and be known as that guy who finally turned around the league’s most downtrodden franchise. Maybe that’ll be the case for someone like Hagens, Martone, or Frondell, should the Sabres pawn Peterka off to the Blackhawks. Even if the Hawks got their own struggles.
Personally, I’d love to take on that challenge, and I know that there are also a lot of high-profile prospects who’d find that an honor. So, if Peterka ends up with the Hawks as part of a massive trade package, expect either Hagens, Martone, or Frondell to burst onto the organizational scene. And from there, anything can happen.
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