The Athletic: Sabres trade tiers: Is anyone on Buffalo’s roster untouchable ahead of deadline?

Sabres trade tiers: Is anyone on Buffalo’s roster untouchable ahead of deadline?

This exercise serves as a starting point for what the value of each Sabres player might be if a team comes calling.

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With their 4-2 loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, the Sabres’ three-game winning streak ended and their record dropped to 14-20-4. Buffalo hasn’t yet reached the halfway mark of the season, but it’s already in a position where it needs to play at a 111-point pace to finish the season with 92 points.

That’s why Lindy Ruff wasn’t all that satisfied that the Sabres played another tight game and were tied heading into the third period. This was the fourth time this season the Sabres have put together a three-game winning streak and each time they failed to get that streak to four. The Sabres haven’t won four games in a row since they had a five-game winning streak in January 2023.

That makes it even more challenging to envision the Sabres climbing out of the hole they created with the recent 0-10-3 stretch. They’re capable of playing like a playoff contender. They just haven’t shown they’re capable of doing it consistently enough. And now they need to play like an elite team the rest of the way to end the playoff drought.

If the season continues to trend this way, the conversation surrounding the Sabres will be about what can be done to reshape Buffalo’s roster. General manager Kevyn Adams has said he doesn’t want to make a knee-jerk move, and he shouldn’t. But he also acknowledged, “Nothing should be off the table. We should be in every conversation, which we are, and evaluating whether there are ways to help the team improve, and if there are, we’ll attack it.”

With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of trade tiers for the current roster. Essentially, this exercise serves as a starting point for what the value of each player might be if a team comes calling.

Untouchable​

Rasmus Dahlin, defenseman ($11 million cap hit through 2031-32)​

Dahlin already signed an eight-year contract worth $11 million per year. Ruff named him the team’s captain at 24 years old. That’s not a player you trade unless the return is ridiculous. As the Sabres should have learned in the Jack Eichel trade, it’s not easy to win a trade when you’re giving up the best player. Dahlin is one of Buffalo’s key pieces to build around.

Almost untouchable​

Tage Thompson, center ($7.1 million cap hit through 2029-30)​

Thompson is just a shade below Dahlin in this tier. His $7.1 million cap hit is more than reasonable for the offensive upside he has. Because of the games he missed with injury, he’s on pace for 64 points right now, well below the high bar he set in 2022-23 with 94 points. He’s a difference-maker when he’s healthy and it’s tough to envision the Sabres winning any trade that includes Thompson.

Not signed long term but potential long-term pieces​

Alex Tuch, winger ($4.75 million cap hit through 2025-26)​

Tuch’s next contract is going to be an interesting one. The Sabres have every reason to want to keep Tuch in Buffalo. He’s a leader with playoff experience and is one of the team’s most effective forwards at both ends of the ice. He also turns 29 in the spring, so you would expect Tuch to think carefully about his next contract. The Sabres will need to convince him to spend the rest of what’s left of his prime in Buffalo. Until he signs, Tuch is a player the Sabres will get a lot of calls about.

JJ Peterka, winger (upcoming RFA)​

Peterka has 10 goals and 16 assists in 36 games, which puts him right around the pace to match his 56-point season from a year ago. The Sabres were hoping he had another level, but he’s been a streaky scorer this season. His next contract could be a big one, and the Sabres will be inclined to lock him up long-term. But they also aren’t in a position to hang up if someone comes calling on Peterka. But like Owen Power and Dylan Cozens, they’d need to get a significant return.

Bowen Byram, defenseman (upcoming RFA)​

Byram has been a top-pair defenseman for the Sabres this season. He’s tied with Power with 18 even-strength points. That he’s already won the Stanley Cup and played well on that playoff run makes him a valuable piece of Buffalo’s young core. The only question is how willing Byram is to stick around long-term and what kind of contract he’s looking for. Because he’s not signed, teams will be calling, and the Sabres could get a nice return.

Signed long-term and would require a big return​

Owen Power, defenseman ($8.35 million cap hit through 2031)​

Power is still a work in progress in the defensive zone, but he’s shown some improvement lately under Ruff’s guidance. He’s also tied for second among NHL defensemen with 18 points at five-on-five. The 22-year-old still has time to live up to his draft status as the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. The Sabres shouldn’t be shopping him, but if they were trying to make a blockbuster move to shake up the roster, Power would be among their most attractive trade chips. The presence of Dahlin and Byram would make moving Power easier to stomach. But the return would have to be significant.

Dylan Cozens, forward ($7.1 million cap hit through 2030)​

It seems like Cozens has become a popular name in trade rumors. He hasn’t played his best hockey this season, and the Sabres are struggling. So it makes sense teams would try to test the waters on a 23-year-old center who is signed long-term and had 68 points two seasons ago. Like Power, this is not a player the Sabres should be moving without a significant haul coming back. Cozens is currently scoring at a 42-point pace and hasn’t played well enough defensively. Why trade him when his value is at its lowest? The Sabres are better off trying to get Cozens back to the form he showed two seasons ago.

High-end prospects​

Zach Benson, winger; Jiří Kulich, forward​

You can argue whether Benson and Kulich should be in the NHL right now, but they’ve both shown the potential to be future impact players for the Sabres. The Sabres should listen to offers that would net them a proven impact player. But the presence of Benson and Kulich also makes future draft picks and other prospects in the system more expendable.


Winger Jack Quinn has struggled for the Sabres this season. (Bill Wippert / NHLI via Getty Images)

Reclamation projects​

Jack Quinn, winger; Mattias Samuelsson, defenseman​

These two players could be viewed similarly on the trade market. Quinn and Samuelsson have both struggled with injury the last couple of seasons. Neither has performed up to expectations this season. Quinn has been scratched for extended periods of time due to struggles on both ends of the ice. Quinn will be a restricted free agent at the end of the year, so the team control and upside would be attractive. Samuelsson is signed to a long-term deal with a cap hit north of $4 million. That’s more of a burden to a potential trade partner. While the Sabres wouldn’t be selling high, these are players worth listening to offers on.

Upcoming unrestricted free agents with value​

Jason Zucker, winger​

Signing Zucker was Adams’ best move of the offseason. The veteran winger has spent time on the top line and on the power play. He has 10 goals and 15 assists, good for fifth on the team in points. Zucker is on a one-year contract worth $5 million, but he’s the type of player they should entertain keeping around. If Zucker isn’t open to an extension given the lack of team success in Buffalo, he should be an attractive option for contenders at the deadline. He should be able to fetch a second-round pick. If the Sabres are willing to retain salary in the deal, that could increase the return.

Jordan Greenway, winger​

Greenway recently had surgery and will be out for a while longer. He should be healthy enough to return this season, but the injury might hurt his value at the deadline. Greenway is another player the Sabres should try to re-sign if he’s open to it. He was one of the team’s most consistent forwards prior to his injury, and the defensive role he plays is valuable. But if he has eyes for unrestricted free agency, the Sabres need to get something for him.

Henri Jokiharju, defenseman​

Given how often he’s been a healthy scratch this season, it’s clear Jokiharju would be available in trade. He’s still only 25, has a manageable $3.1 million contract and has some value as a right-shot defenseman. Ruff has tried to get him to play a more physical game, but the results have been mixed. Jokiharju wouldn’t have significant value in a trade, but he could be a piece to a larger package.

Affordable depth under team control​

Ryan McLeod, center (upcoming RFA)​

McLeod hasn’t brought a lot of offensive pop to Buffalo’s lineup, but his speed and defensive awareness have made him effective on the penalty kill. He has playoff experience and is a useful bottom-six player. He’ll be a restricted free agent after the season. The Sabres should only consider moving him in a trade that makes the team better now.

Peyton Krebs, forward ($1.45 million cap hit through 2025-26)​

Krebs’ competitiveness and versatility have helped him carve out a consistent role even though he doesn’t produce a ton of offense. He might still have some value given his age and reasonable cap hit.

Beck Malenstyn, winger ($1.35 million cap hit through 2025-26)​

Malenstyn has filled his role well as a fourth-line energy player for the Sabres. Considering they just traded a second-round pick to acquire him, they wouldn’t have much incentive to move him.

Upcoming unrestricted free agents with lower value​

Jacob Bryson, defenseman; Dennis Gilbert, defenseman; Nicolas Aube-Kubel, winger​

These three players have been in and out of the lineup this season, so their value on the trade market won’t be significant. Of the three, Aube-Kubel could be the most attractive given his physicality and playoff experience.

Pricey depth​

Sam Lafferty, forward ($2 million cap hit through 2025-26)​

Lafferty has just one goal and one assist in 27 games played for the Sabres this season. That, along with a $2 million cap hit through 2025-26, will make him a tricky player to trade.

Connor Clifton, defenseman ($3.33 million cap hit through 2025-26)​

With only one season left on his contract after this one, the Sabres could move Clifton if they retained some salary. He’s not likely to be a difference-maker on a playoff team, but he has the playoff experience and physical playing style that would make him a nice depth addition for a contender.

The goalies​

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen; Devon Levi; James Reimer​

I don’t think the Sabres should be entertaining offers on Luukkonen. He’s been reliable and is already signed to a reasonable long-term deal. Levi isn’t ready to take over the net, so Luukkonen has a lot of value. If a goalie-needy team calls about Reimer, that’s a trade worth making. That would give Levi another chance at part-time work in the NHL at the end of the season.