The Buffalo Sabres have yet to fill the offensive void created by trading JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth in late June. It's the biggest item left on general manager Kevyn Adams' summer to-do list, though a solution may not arrive until the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
Another potential option has emerged, though. On Thursday, Michael Augello of The Hockey News linked the Sabres to a possible trade for Seattle Kraken winger Eeli Tolvanen, who recorded a career-high 23 goals during the 2024-25 season.
The Kraken have been trending in the wrong direction since posting a franchise-high 100 points in 2022-23 and Augello noted they "poised to be a big seller at the trade deadline" if the ship doesn't start sailing back in the right direction early in the 2025-26 campaign.
Pros of a Tolvanen trade
The 2017 first-round pick makes a lot of sense for the Sabres in a variety of ways.
Most importantly, Tolvanen can light the lamp. He's recorded 57 goals in 223 appearances over the past three seasons, which he split between Seattle and the Nashville Predators. It's not an elite scoring rate, but it's good enough to handle an offensive middle-six role.
The Finland native is just 26, so he's not an aging veteran on the decline, and he's an impending unrestricted free agent. Adams has made it clear the organization doesn't want to block any of its promising group of top prospects, so a short-term addition is ideal.
Of course, if Tolvanen proceeded to thrive in Buffalo, the door could remain open to re-signing him before he hits the open market next summer.
The left-shot forward is also capable of playing on either wing, which would give head coach Lindy Ruff more flexibility when building his lines.
Cons of a Tolvanen trade
It's unclear whether Tolvanen will be able to back up his strong 2024-25 season because his underlying metrics didn't meet the same standard.
Although the former KHL All-Star found the net 23 times for the Kraken, his total number of expected goals was a more modest 15.1, according to Natural Stat Trick. In addition, his 5-on-5 expected goals for percentage (xGF%) was a lackluster 44.8%, per NST.
Those numbers create an extra layer of risk, especially once you factor in the acquisition cost.
Augello suggested Seattle would seek either one of Buffalo's prized prospects — likely center Noah Ostlund, winger Isak Rosen or goalie Devon Levi — or a conditional first-round draft pick as the foundation of any Tolvanen deal.
That's a high price to pay unless you're confident the Finnish winger is a bona fide 20-goal scorer.
Final verdict on Buffalo/Seattle swap
This is probably something the Sabres circle back on closer to the trade deadline based on Seattle's current asking price. They simply can't afford to give up a top-tier prospect or early pick for a high-risk, high-reward player who may also be a one-year rental.
A lot of things can change between now and March, though.
If Buffalo is trending toward serious playoff contention in the East and Seattle is once again failing to keep pace in the West, perhaps the teams' directions can bring the cost down far enough (a 'B' prospect or mid-round pick, for example) where Adams feels comfortable making the deal.
It'd also be a bit poetic if Jason Botterill, who served as Sabres general manager from 2017 through 2020 and currently holds the same title for the Kraken, sends the team a player to help end the 14-year playoff drought after failing to reach the postseason during his own tenure.
All told, it's hard to see a scenario where Tolvanen ends up in Buffalo in the imminent future, but he's a name to keep in mind in early 2026.