​​The Buffalo Sabres pulled off a trade on NHL Draft weekend, sending Connor Clifton to the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Conor Timmins and minor leaguer Issac Belliveau. The deal was a salary dump of the veteran blueliner in the final year of his three-year, $10 million contract, for which the rebuilding Penguins received a 2025 second-round pick.

The Penguins appear to be one of the few teams this summer who are open for business and in full sell mode, likely to improve their chances at getting the best odds of winning the draft lottery to select presumptive top pick Gavin McKenna at the 2026 NHL Draft, and according to Josh Yohe of the Athletic, Pens GM Kyle Dubas is shopping veteran forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell.  

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Both forwards had career-best seasons and have three years remaining on their contracts.. The 32-year-old Rakell had 70 points (35 goals, 35 assists) in 81 games, while the two-time Cup winning Rust, 33, had 65 points (31 goals, 34 assists) in 71 games. Yohe indicates that both players do not want to leave Pittsburgh, but Rust does not have any no-trade protections, while Rakell has an eight-team no-trade list.

The Sabres appeared to be depending on the return of a swap involving defenseman Bowen Byram to bring back a top-six forward to replace winger JJ Peterka, but with the blueliner headed for team-elected salary arbitration later this month, the possibility of the 24-year-old staying in Buffalo has to be considered. GM Kevyn Adams has the right assets available in the form of drt picks and prospects to make a trade for either veteran and the cap space to fit either Rust or Rakell in, it is just the question of whether the Sabres are willing to make that type of move to improve their playoff chances.   

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