What does an ideal Sabres trade deadline look like for new GM Jarmo Kekäläinen?
For the first time in a long time, the Sabres in a position to be a real buyer at the deadline.
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Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner is a name that’s easy to circle given his history with Jarmo Kekäläinen. Kirk Irwin / Getty Images
The NHL trade deadline has been an eventful day on the calendar for the Buffalo Sabres the last few years. A year ago, then-general manager Kevyn Adams swung a deal that sent Dylan Cozens, Dennis Gilbert and a second-round pick to the Ottawa Senators for Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker. A year before that, Adams made a one-for-one swap, trading Casey Mittelstadt to the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Bowen Byram.
Both of those trades significantly impacted the roster the Sabres have today. However, recent trade deadlines have also had an undercurrent of disappointment for Buffalo because the rest of the deals over the last two seasons were about selling. Kyle Okposo and Erik Johnson were shipped out for draft picks in March 2024. And in March 2025, Adams took what he could get for defenseman Henri Jokiharju.
This year, the Sabres won’t be selling off expiring contracts. For the first time in a long time, they’re in a position to be a real buyer. How should new general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen approach this deadline, and what would success look like? Let’s set the table.
Of course, any talk about the trade deadline needs to start with a proper understanding of Buffalo’s cap situation. As of this writing, the Sabres have roughly $1.5 million in projected cap space, according to PuckPedia. That’s not a lot of room, but there are ways for them to open up more. The most obvious is to put forward Jordan Greenway on long-term injured reserve. His $4 million cap hit would give the Sabres a lot of flexibility to make a deal work. The Sabres could free up a bit more room if Jiri Kulich ends up on long-term injured reserve, but his cap hit is much smaller than Greenway’s. Beyond that, freeing up space would require trading players on the active roster.
What does an ideal deadline for the Sabres look like?
1. Keep Alex Tuch
This should go without saying, but the Sabres shouldn’t entertain the idea of moving Alex Tuch. Yes, he’s still unsigned and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but the Sabres aren’t going to get better by trading Tuch, and getting better should be their only priority at this deadline. Tuch is a vital piece to this team on and off the ice. Not only is there a lot of time between now and July 1 to convince Tuch to re-sign, but having him play playoff games in Buffalo might help the negotiations. Regardless of which way the contract talks go, the Sabres have spent enough years worrying about future assets. This is an opportunity to rid the franchise of the massive burden of a record playoff drought. They have a better chance of doing that with Tuch than without him.2. Add a defenseman
The Sabres have four defensemen who are in the top 42 in the NHL in total ice time this season. Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Bowen Byram and Owen Power are handling a disproportionate amount of the team’s ice time on defense. They’ve handled it well this season, and whenever he’s asked about it, Lindy Ruff says the players like the ice time. Still, the Sabres can’t ignore the risk of physical and mental fatigue in that group. Depth has also been an issue, and it was a glaring one in Buffalo’s final game before the Olympic break.When healthy, the Sabres have a good enough top six, but Conor Timmins is still recovering from a broken leg, and Michael Kesselring has been hampered by a high-ankle sprain for a big portion of the season. That has put a lot of pressure on Jacob Bryson and Zach Metsa, even though Ruff has sheltered them heavily. If any of the top four were to miss time, the Sabres’ blue line would be in trouble.
Ideally, the Sabres would add a player with some experience, size and physicality. The ability to contribute to the penalty kill would be a bonus. This isn’t a trade where Kekäläinen needs to swing for the fences, either. The Sabres already have four defensemen playing at a high level. They need depth.
The ideal target: Connor Murphy
Murphy makes sense for a lot of reasons. His playing style fits what the Sabres need. He’s right-handed, which would give the Sabres the ability to balance their pairs. He can kill penalties, is praised as a strong dressing-room presence in Chicago and has a reasonable cap hit at $4.4 million per year. Additionally, he’s a pending unrestricted free agent, so the cost to acquire Murphy shouldn’t be exorbitant.
3. Add another forward
I don’t think Buffalo’s need up front is as pressing as the one on the blue line, but it wouldn’t hurt for the Sabres to add another forward at the deadline. Targeting a big name like Robert Thomas seems like it might be easier to pull off in the offseason. A trade like that would require a significant shake-up of the roster, and this roster has gotten the Sabres into a good position. When trying to play matchmaker with the Sabres, I’m looking for forwards who play the hard-nosed, forechecking style that has become part of Buffalo’s A-game. The ability to play center would be a nice plus, but a winger would fit as well. The Sabres need someone capable of playing in the top nine to give Ruff more lineup options. While some of the Sabres’ young prospects have really stepped up this season and given the team quality depth, given the team’s injury issues, it doesn’t hurt to have another layer of experienced depth.Ideal targets: Bobby McMann or Boone Jenner
McMann is the type of fast, forechecking winger who would fit on any of Buffalo’s lines. He’s also got some goal-scoring pop to his game and only makes $1.35 million per year. If the Maple Leafs are trying to sell at the deadline, McMann could be a popular option on the market. The cost to acquire won’t be cheap, but McMann could make a big impact.
Jenner is another name that’s easy to circle given his history with Kekäläinen. While his leadership and defensive chops at center would help the Sabres, the Blue Jackets are still in the race right now. Unless that changes, they probably won’t be eager to trade their captain.