The Buffalo Sabres are likely to be active on the trade front this summer. And as part of an ongoing series on THN.com's Sabres site, we're examining potential trade partners for Buffalo.
We kicked off the series with a look at the Utah Mammoth, then followed it up by examining the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks. And in today's Sabres file, we're focusing on the Philadelphia Flyers. With that said, let's get down to business.
TEAM: Philadelphia Flyers
CAP SPACE: $18.9 million
FREE AGENTS: Jakob Pelletier, LW (RFA); Cam York, D (RFA)
NEEDS: Depth at center; depth on defense; quality starting goaltender; overall depth
SABRES FIT? The Flyers are in the midst of a full roster rebuild, and Philadelphia GM Daniel Briere has been frank and open with the public as he navigates his way through improving the lineup in all areas.
The biggest need for the Flyers is goaltending, as their goals-against average was the NHL's fifth-worst at 3.45 G.A.A. per game. However, proven high-quality goaltending is nearly impossible to find on the free-agent or trade fronts, so Briere will have to take a chance on a mid-tier netminder -- perhaps New Jersey Devils veteran Jake Allen. But he'll have to overpay significantly to convince an experienced hand to join a Flyers team that will still be a longshot to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs next year.
Briere came out Tuesday with an acknowledgement that the Flyers need to improve at center, but he also said that finding a first-or-second-line center in trades or free-agenchy is virtually impossible. That means he's going to have to be patient and creative to address that need.
Sabres Potential Trade Partner: Vancouver CanucksThe NHL's off-season is more or less at hand, and teams are beginning to make significant trades. And in this new series on THN.com's Buffalo Sabres site, we're looking at potential trade partners for the Sabres.
That said, the Sabres may be able to help out Briere in that regard, and in return, the Flyers could help the Sabres improve in one particular area: on defense.
We're talking about Sabres center Peyton Krebs, and Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. Krebs did set new career highs in goals (10) and points (28) this season, but those are rather modest totals for someone drafted 17th-overall in 2019. Krebs currently slots in as Buffalo's fourth-line center, and he could get a much better opportunity with Philadelphia. And he's a low-cost acquisition, earning just $1`.45-million next season, after which time he'll be a restricted free-agent.
The other side of this trade is Ristolainen, who spent the first eight seasons of his NHL career with the Sabres. The big-bodied, physical D-man would instantly make Buffalo harder to play against, and his $5.`1-million salary runs for the next two years, an important factor as the Sabres try to balance out their payroll. If the Sabres deal blueliner Bowen Byram, Ristolainen can improve Buffalo's depth on 'D', and he's a highly-valued right-shot defenseman whose experience and snarl will help the Sabres in many regards.
Sabres Potential Trade Partner: Colorado AvalancheThe Buffalo Sabres are entering the 2025 off-season as one of the key NHL teams to watch. As they try to re-jig the roster with the goal of ending their 14-year streak with no playoff appearances, the Sabres are highly-motivated to make a splash. But what are they likely to do on the trade front -- and what teams are out there that could be a trade partner? That's the focus of this new series on THN.com's Sabres site.
Yes, the Sabres would be giving up on the promise of Krebs, a player who, at age 24, still has his best years ahead of him. But you have to give something to get something, and Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams has to change the chemistry and composition of his team. Moving Krebs would free up some opportunities to the Sabres' youngsters, and adding Ristolainen would give Buffalo one of the deeper defense corps in the Atlantic Division.
This move works for both the Flyers and Sabres. Philadelphia gets a young center who could excel given a bigger opportunity. And Buffalo gets a 30-year-old blueliner who is a cost-controlled asset on a very reasonable salary. Ristolainen certainly isn't perfect, but if Byram is dealt, Ristolainen could step in and eat up 20 minutes of ice time per game. The Sabres have to be better defensively, and Ristolainen would be a key competitor on the back end.
Like all the trades we're proposing in this web series, a Ristolainen-for-Krebs deal is compelling for each team. The Flyers are focused on the future, and the Sabres are focused on the present. Briere would be able to go to Philadelphia fans and show them a young player who could develop into a core component for the long haul, and Adams would be able to go to Sabres fans and show them a capable blueliner who improves Buffalo's toughness and size.
Sabres Potential Trade Partner: Utah MammothThis is the first file in what will be an ongoing series on THN.com's Buffalo Sabres site. In these files, we're going to identify a number of teams the Sabres could be making a trade with this summer, and we'll be picking out specific players who could be trade targets for Buffalo.
The other alternative for the Flyers is to pursue Byram, and that's something that has been talked about before. But there may have to be more assets in that type of deal than Adams and Briere would have to move than they would in a Krebs/Ristolainen swap.
Still, this proposed trade should be tempting to both Philly and Buffalo. And we'll be watching closely to see if anything comes of it.