The Buffalo Sabres continue to be focused on as a team that will make a notable trade or two this off-season. Sabres GM. Kevyn Adams kicked things off last month with the trading of up-and-coming winger J.J, Peterka to the Utah Mammoth for winger Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring. but with due respect to Kesselring and Doan, they aren't going to be needle-movers that push Buffalo into a post-season berth next year.
What teams could Adams collaborate on for a major trade? That's the focus of this ongoing THN.com series. In earlier files, we examined the potential trade fit with the Sabres and Los Angeles Kings, Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs and many more. But in this file, we're breaking down the potential trade possibility with Buffalo and the St. Louis Blues. Let's get straight to it:
TEAM: St. Louis Blues
CAP SPACE: $625,150
FREE AGENTS: Ryan Suter, D
NEEDS: Penalty kill help; high-end depth on defense
SABRES FIT? The Sabres still are rumored to be set to trade top-four blueliner Bowen Byram, and the Blues would love nothing more than to bolster their defense corps by acquiring the young D-man. Byram would instantly slot in as St. Louis' second-pair defenseman, but the question is what the Blues would be prepared to pay in a trade that has to be a home run for Adams to consummate it.
To that end, Adams would likely be looking for a proven veteran scorer like winger Jordan Kyrou, although there are other Blues players who could help Buffalo next season. We're talking about young winger Jake Neighbours, or prospect winger Dalibor Dvorsky. That said, the Sabres have to drive a hard bargain for Byram, as they can't keep going back to the well with unproven NHL-caliber talent.
Blues GM Doug Armstrong has been one of the more active managers in the league, signing veteran center Pius Suter away from the Vancouver Canucks, and inking veteran pivot Nick Bjugstad to shore up St. Louis' fourth line. Meanwhile, the Blues also have their goaltending picture firmed up, and they've got solid depth on the wings. So making a move with the Sabres would almost exclusively focus on Byram.
Sabres Potential Trade Parnter: Toronto Maple LeafsThe NHL's free-agent frenzy is nearing its end. And the Buffalo Sabres still don't look like a team that's a finished product. But with free-agent options dwindling for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams, the only way to change things up will be via trades. And in this ongoing THN.com series, we're breaking down potential trade parnters for Buffalo.
There's no question the Blues value their defense corps, but they've suffered some depletions of late -- most notably, losing Nick Leddy on waivers to the San Jose Sharks, and losing Torey Krug to a career-ending injury. Thus, Armstrong is actively searching for a replacement, and Byram fits the bill perfectly.
That said, St. Louis has next to no salary cap space available, so if they are to acquire Byram and sign the RFA to a lucrative new deal, Armstrong would have to move around some money in any trade. That's why Kyrou -- who is earning $8.125 million for the next six seasons -- makes sense financially for the Blues.
Still, Kyrou has a full no-move clause in his contract, and it's difficult to envision him waiving it to come to Buffalo. The 27-year-old Toronto native might want to play closer to home, but realistically speaking, he has a better chance of making the playoffs with the Blues than he does with the Sabres. And it feels like any trade involving Kyrou would have to be expanded to send more talent St. Louis' way to make it palatable for Armstrong.
Is There Anything Left For Sabres To Pick Up In Free Agency?The NHL's free-agent frenzy has colmed down considerably, with most of the available talent now off the market. And the Buffalo Sabres still have approximately $13.6 million in salary cap space to utilize. So, is there anything left for Buffalo to spend on the open market, or is the only road to improvement via trades?
To that end, the 23-year-old Neighbours is intriguing. He is earning $3.75 million, and he's under contract for the next two seasons. Neighbours posted 22 goals and 46 points last year, and he might replace some of the offense lost in the Peterka deal. But in a 1-for-`1 trade involving Neighbours, Armstrong would still need to move out more salary to accomodate acquiring Byram and giving him a raise.
Regardless, the Blues feel like a potential destination for Byram, and he'd likely welcome a trade to an organization that never feels like making the playoffs is just good enough. For better or worse in Buffalo, that's exactly what the Sabres are at this stage -- desperate just to get into the post-season. The Blues have their sights set higher than that, so Kyrou may exercise his right to block any potential trade.
Nevertheless, the longer Byram goes without a new contract, the more it seems that Adams is going to trade him. And while the Sabres GM's job is to drum up interest among many teams and create a bidding war to maximize the asset he has in Byram, the best price he can get for the blueliner could well be paid by St. Louis.