Sabres Reportedly Listening to Trade Offers for Star Forward, Time for Leafs to Make a Move

With the NHL offseason fast approaching, tons of rumors are emerging about top players and their future with their current teams. At the forefront of these rumors is Mitch Marner with the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, another star winger, JJ Peterka of the Buffalo Sabres, looks like he will be getting a change of scenery per insider Elliotte Friedman.

Peterka, a 2020 second-round pick, is coming off a career year where he scored 27 goals and 68 points in 77 games as a 23-year-old.

He was second on the Sabres in points, behind only Tage Thompson, and was third in goals behind Thompson and Alex Tuch.

There is clearly more room for the pending restricted free agent to grow and in a better environment, he could unlock his full potential and become a point-per-game player and possibly even more.

It is not often that a talent as young and skilled as Peterka becomes available for a trade. With the Maple Leafs having uncertain futures with Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and Matthew Knies, there is an opportunity to add a young talent like Peterka.

With the Leafs lacking their next three first-round picks, they would have to send their 2028 first-round pick and likely the 2025 2nd round pick, which they obtained earlier, if the Sabres wanted future assets.

However, they also have Easton Cowan at the top of their prospect pool, who would certainly need to head to Buffalo to make a trade seem viable. Additionally, they could move a piece like Bobby McMann to the Sabres to help them sooner than Cowan or the picks could.

While it seems like the Sabres could miss yet another year of the playoffs and continue their rebuild, the Leafs could swoop in and acquire a top asset for a fair price who could play alongside Auston Matthews for the foreseeable future.

We will now wait and see if GMs Brad Treliving and Kevyn Adams can work out a deal or if Peterka will be heading elsewhere.