Trouble For Buffalo Sabres: Peterka & Others Reportedly Unhappy

The Buffalo Sabres may be in more trouble than a team that has missed the playoffs for an NHL record of 14 consecutive seasons already is. Frank Seravalli reported that JJ Peterka and a few other players are unhappy with the lack of progress in Buffalo.

Peterka, who finished this season with 27 goals and 68 points in 77 games, completed his third full season in the NHL and was a major contributor to the team, playing over 18 minutes per game and finishing third in goals and points. It would be a major loss for the Sabres if Peterka were to be playing on a different team next season, but I think that signing an offer sheet, when one eventually comes, would be most beneficial to the Sabres.

This would allow the Sabres to skip over the negotiations that haven't gone anywhere and have their player signed for multiple years. Even if it is at a high price, the team has plenty of cap space. We don't know exactly who the others who aren't happy are, but Peterka is number one on Daily Faceoff's trade targets of the 2025 offseason.

Bowen Byram is also high on that list and unless the Sabres were to get the same value back for either of them, these are two young players they don't necessarily want to lose. At a certain point the Sabres have to climb into contention or this cycle is going to continue on and repeat itself while the high-end players move on.

A big problem with the Sabres is that they can't sustain strong play over the course of 82 games. They typically start strong and end strong, but the end is always too late after the damage that has been done. For Buffalo fans, the hope is that these reports aren't entirely true and that the Sabres can have a successful offseason and see the light at the end of the long and dark tunnel.