The Buffalo Sabres are close. They have a pair of franchise pillars in Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson, a rapidly improving young core that includes Finland's IIHF World Championship hero Konsta Helenius and a decent amount of battle-tested depth.
Yet, it feels like the Sabres, who finally ended a miserable 14-year playoff drought in 2025-26, need to emerge from the offseason with a true No. 1 center if they're going to make a legitimate push toward the NHL's elite next season.
Buffalo general manager Jarmo Kekalainen gained a reputation of not shying away from blockbuster moves during his time leading the Columbus Blue Jackets front office, and now it's time for him to travel the same path to bolster the Blue and Gold's roster.
The Sabres have been heavily linked to St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas since last season's trade deadline, but it's unclear if those talks will resurface over the summer. If not, Kekalainen may be forced to consider an option with more risk attached: Vancouver Canucks star Elias Pettersson.
A four-time NHL All-Star, Pettersson was once among the league's most dangerous offensive talents, but he's taken a step back over the past two years.
Here's a comparison of the Canucks pivot's numbers over the last pair of seasons (2024-25 and 2025-26) compared to the previous two (2022-23 and 2023-24):
- 2024-26: 96 points (30 goals and 66 assists) in 138 games
- 2022-24: 191 points (73 goals and 118 assists) in 162 games
His substantial dip in production combined with a $11.6 million salary-cap hit through the 2031-32 season will cause a lot of organizations to look in a different direction in Vancouver decides to circle back on trade talks involving the 27-year-old Swede over the next few months.
Pettersson also owns a no-movement clause, which will allow him to dictate whether he's traded and any potential destinations he'd accept.
Yet, despite those hurdles, the 2019 Calder Trophy winner is an option Kekalainen should at least consider if no other high-profile additions seem plausible early in the offseason.
Pettersson would immediately slot in as the Sabres' No. 1 center, which would allow Tage Thompson to operate on the wing (head coach Lindy Ruff's understandable preference). A hardworking winger like Zach Benson could round out that top line perfectly.
If the change of scenery, and opportunity to play with a team on the rise rather than one on a recent descent, sparks a return to peak form, Buffalo would instantly emerge as a Stanley Cup threat.
What would a trade for the Vancouver Canucks' Elias Pettersson cost the Buffalo Sabres?
Working out a deal with Vancouver would be a bit tricky Kekalainen because of the financial aspect.
Two players would almost certainly need to get included in any proposal: center Josh Norris and winger Jordan Greenway. That duo accounts for a shade under $12 million in cap charges for next season, which would offset Pettersson's incoming amount.
The Canucks enter the summer with $22 million in cap space (via PuckPedia), so adding a little salary won't hurt and, when Greenway's contract expires after next season, they'll have a possible top-six center in Norris at about $3.6 million less than Pettersson.
Hypothetically, if Vancouver is willing to consider those baseline parameters — the Sabres are facing a tight cap situation because of a $6.4 million buyout charge on Jeff Skinner, so they can't take on an immense amount of salary this year — a deal may be possible.
How much more would it take, though?
What if Buffalo included 2025 first-round pick Radim Mrtka, a 6-foot-6 right-shot defenseman who impressed at training camp last fall, or their first-round selection in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft? If it's the latter, the Sabres would probably need to another another pick or prospect. If it's both, a second asset likely needs to get added by the Canucks.
Here's how the Sabres could line up if a trade was completed, assuming impending unrestricted free agent Alex Tuch leaves via the open market but fellow UFA Beck Malenstyn is re-signed:
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
Zach Benson | Elias Pettersson | Tage Thompson |
Noah Ostlund | Konsta Helenius | Josh Doan |
Jason Zucker | Ryan McLeod | Jack Quinn |
Peyton Krebs | Sam Carrick | Beck Malenstyn |
This projection doesn't include Jiri Kulich, who's expected to return next season after missing most of this campaign with a blood clot. How he looks during camp after such a long layoff will determine whether he'll be ready to roll when the 2026-27 season begins.
That forward group looks a lot stronger than trying to pigeonhole Norris as the No. 1 center or asking Helenius to immediately fill that role in his first full NHL season.
Yes, it'd be a gamble to inherit the remainder of Pettersson's contract, especially if there's no salary retention by the Canucks, but the upside if he can return to that 90-plus point level is getting a legit first-line center at a fair-market rate.
All told, whether it's Thomas, Pettersson or another high-profile forward, now's the time for Kekalainen to swing for the fences as the Sabres try to build off a breakthrough year.
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