After 14 years of missing the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Buffalo Sabres have to change up their lineup. However, this organization cannot afford to play fast-and-loose with most of their assets -- and that includes up-and-coming left winger J.J. Peterka.
The 23-year-old is an RFA this summer, and he's going to get a major raise on the $855,834 he earned this season. But that's not nearly reason enough for Buffalo to part ways with him. To the contrary -- Peterka should absolutely be a building block for the present and the future, and finding a way to make him happy financially and competitively needs to be a priority for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams and his newly-rejigged management team.
Not only was Peterka second in scoring for Buffalo this season -- with 27 goals and 68 points in 77 games -- he hasn't come close to his prime yet. You don't dump a player like that. You do what you need to do to assure him that he's a key member of the franchise.
Whether Adams gives Peterka a bridge contract or a long-term deal ultimately hinges on where team brass believes he's going to be in the near-future. It's highly unlikely Peterka will have the same type of surge in point production next season -- going from 50 points in 2023-24 to an 18-point improvement this year is going to be very difficult to replicate -- but Peterka now has 55 goals and 118 points in the past two seasons. And getting to the 30-goal plateau isn't a herculean task.
Will Peterka get offer-sheeted as an RFA? It's possible in theory, we suppose. But there's a reason why the NHL doesn't have many players who get an offer sheet; far more often than not, teams will match any offer their player gets. An offer-sheet situation like the St. Louis Blues/Edmonton Oilers saga last summer was all about a team in the Oilers that was strapped for salary cap space, and a Blues team that was extremely calculating in targeting specific mid-tier players.
You can't say the same about the Sabres and Peterka, who now has consecutive seasons of stellar play. Sure, it's not the biggest sample size to judge him by, and there's always a possibility Peterka will regress. But if you're Adams, why take that risk? You're under incredible pressure to produce a playoff team next season, so playing with fire with Peterka is tantamount to cutting off your nose to spite your face. And if a team offer-sheets Peterka, you match the offer and move on. Straightforward stuff, really.
Why Marner To Buffalo Is A Non-Starter The Buffalo Sabres have reached the highest level of hockey ignominity with their playoff drought extending to 14 seasons, but after strong statements regarding potential organizational changes last month at their season-ending press conferences, there have been only rumors of possible managerial and coaching shakeups.
Buffalo has more than enough cap space to use this summer -- $23.2-million, to be precise -- and most of their players are locked up for next season. Even if Adams gives top-four defenseman Bowen Byram a healthy bump in pay, there's plenty of money left over for the Sabres to spend on Peterka. It's not about completely catering to all of your players if you're Adams, but it is about keeping most of them in a good place with their financial bottom line.
If Peterka does take a step back in 2025-26, the Sabres can look at trading him at this time next year. So long as his annual cap hit and contract term aren't outrageously high, there will be many teams lining up to bid on Peterka's services. And Adams (or whoever is running the team by then) should be able to drum up a robust trade market for him if things get to that point. There's always teams out there who believe a change of employer will unlock a particular player's talents, so even if Peterka only pots, say, 20 goals this coming year, Buffalo will be able to find a new home for him.
But for now, the best approach with Peterka is to stay the course, and see exactly how high his goal-scoring prowess can go. And if the Sabres have him locked up for the next two or three years while he gets to that 30-goal mark, Buffalo will have driven a solid bargain for him.
Minnesota Wild Youngster Is Going To Be Well-Paid This Summer -- But It Shouldn't Be By The SabresThe Buffalo Sabres have their own collection of restricted free agent players to deal with this summer -- most notably, defenseman Bowen Byram and left winger J.J. Peterka -- and although the Sabres have more than enough salary cap space to make a splash ($23.2 million, as per Puck Pedia), one looming RFA who is getting a lot of attention of late is one they should absolutely steer clear of.
Offense was a strong suit for the Sabres this season, as they were eighth in the NHL in goals-for. You don't want to hamstring the offense by dealing Peterka when there's no good reason to do so. It would be different if the player actively wanted out of Buffalo, but no one is suggesting that's the case with Peterka right now. Better, then, to ensure he's a key component of the team, at least, for the short-term. And you can worry about his future down the road.
Peterka has shown himself to be a capable and worthy NHLer. Now it's on the Sabres to show they're a worthy and capable employer for him. Because if they can't -- or because they choose not to spend the money to retain him -- there will be legitimate cause for abject rage among Buffalo's fans. Peterka needs to be a core component for the Sabres moving forward, and arguing otherwise is lowering the bar for this beleagured franchise.
