NHL Rumors: Sabres & Islanders Considering Eye-Popping Trade

There's been plenty of buzz this offseason surrounding the Buffalo Sabres and restricted free agent JJ Peterka. We've heard that he's looking for a change of scenery, and that the Sabres, much to their chagrin, are now openly discussing him in trade talks. And one eye-popping rumor has emerged.

Defenseman Noah Dobson is another very talented RFA who has now entered the rumor mill, and insider Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff tells us today on the DFO Rundown that the New York Islanders have discussed a potential trade with the Sabres that would exchange Dobson for Peterka.

I do think that these teams have talked, and I do think that that is one of the things that has been talked about... (The Islanders) are absolutely evaluating the (trade) market (for Dobson).

Could the Sabres trade JJ Peterka for Noah Dobson?

The Sabres do already have some big money tied up at the top of their defense corps for many years to come, with Owen Power at five more years of an $8.5 million cap hit, and Rasmus Dahlin at five more years and $11 million. Would they be prepared to shell out another $10 million a year or so on a long-term deal for Dobson? The right-shot D would certainly better balance out the Buffalo blueline, as both Power & Dahlin (and another RFA Bowen Byram, for that matter) are all left-shot.

Seravalli suggests that buying out Mattias Samuelsson (yet another left-shot D), with his five more years at $4.285 million, would help free up some cap space (and the logjam on the blueline). He even posits that Buffalo could then go on to "trade one of Power or Dahlin and totally revamp your defense. So I think (Dobson) would provide them with a ton of options, and may be the best value proposition if you're thinking of trading Peterka."

An intriguing storyline to follow, no doubt, for both the Sabres and the Islanders.