Friedman: Pittsburgh wants Buffalo’s NHL ready prospects

[Turin]

Because pittsburgh has little in prospects nhl ready while buffalo has a bunch.

There are a lot of teams that have NHL ready prospects. The fact that he said they are interested in Buffalo's sort of suggest they've talked. Or else it's nothing more than "Team is interested in McDavid"

 

[Uberpecker]

Doesn't Samuelsson play RD as well? I was figuring they'd be running with Pettersson-Dahlin and Power-Samuelsson as their top-4 D group.

That actually brings up an interesting follow-up thought. I was going to suggest that the Sabres move Samuelsson to open up a 2nd pair RD spot, but would Buffalo move Samuelsson in a Pettersson deal? I'm not sure how highly Samuelsson is valued right now, but the Penguins have nothing on LD beyond Pickering and want to continue adding young talent. If Samuelsson isn't panning out for Buffalo, I could definitely see him being attractive to the Penguins.

Something like Samuelsson and Rosen for Pettersson with an extension would make sense if Buffalo is down on Samuelsson. This wouldn't require Buffalo to have a follow-up move with Byram although I still think they should look into it.

Samuelsson for Petersson straight up. The latter is gonna be UFA, sign and trades rarely happen.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Samuelsson for Petersson straight up. The latter is gonna be UFA, sign and trades rarely happen.

Pettersson is significantly more valuable than Samuelsson due to being a UFA. He doesn’t have the long term commitment while also declining like Samuelsson has.

 

[Uberpecker]

Pettersson is significantly more valuable than Samuelsson due to being a UFA. He doesn’t have the long term commitment while also declining like Samuelsson has.

That's not really how value works though, is it. Pettersson is a rental, Sabres would only be interested if he signs with them, so basically whatever they'd pay would be simply to have first dibs on negotiating with him.

Samuelsson is who he is. Young with a long term contract. You either think you can use him and see him as valuable or you don't. No "taking off your hands".

That being said, I think there's a discussion to be had. The assets I'd put on the table next to Sammy are Peterka and Johnson, obviously with very different valuations.

Johnson for Pettersson

Peterka for Pettersson + (with deal in place),

Something like that. Smooth out the edges.

 

[Roof Daddy]

Matthew Savoie for Pettersson. Done.

 

[biturbo19]

I could see why Pittsburgh would covet cheap young prospects on the cusp. They need that infusion of youth badly, and soon...if they want to make anything of Sid's last good years.

But from Buffalo's end...i'm not sure how much they have that would really make a lot of sense. I get that maybe the Sabres are sick of losing and being stuck in this perpetual rebuild and would have some interest in good solid veterans to help right the ship. But how many of those does Pittsburgh have to spare?


-Pettersson is almost certainly more of a "rental" that will go to a contender, and a LHD where Buffalo are loaded up already anyway.

-Rakell, Rust both have some manner of Trade Protection.

-Malkin isn't going to Buffalo.

-Karlsson isn't at all the sort of defenceman they need and Letang isn't likely going anywhere.

-Graves is an extremely tough contract to move and another LHD anyway.


What else is there even? Beyond that, it's mostly just...filler guys, fringe guys, players trying to establish themselves...which is basically what Buffalo's overstaffed with in the first place.

 

[Fjordy]

I could see why Pittsburgh would covet cheap young prospects on the cusp. They need that infusion of youth badly, and soon...if they want to make anything of Sid's last good years.

But from Buffalo's end...i'm not sure how much they have that would really make a lot of sense. I get that maybe the Sabres are sick of losing and being stuck in this perpetual rebuild and would have some interest in good solid veterans to help right the ship. But how many of those does Pittsburgh have to spare?


-Pettersson is almost certainly more of a "rental" that will go to a contender, and a LHD where Buffalo are loaded up already anyway.

-Rakell, Rust both have some manner of Trade Protection.

-Malkin isn't going to Buffalo.

-Karlsson isn't at all the sort of defenceman they need and Letang isn't likely going anywhere.

-Graves is an extremely tough contract to move and another LHD anyway.


What else is there even? Beyond that, it's mostly just...filler guys, fringe guys, players trying to establish themselves...which is basically what Buffalo's overstaffed with in the first place.

Pettersson is interesting even though he is a LD, we lack this type of player. Dahlin plays RD. And the first pair Pettersson - Dahlin makes a lot of sense. Rust most likely in the summer, when his trade protection disappears, Rakell, I don't know, maybe not too suitable, although it depends on how things develop in the near future.

 

[Team Cozens]

Big brain Time - Buffalo / Vancouver trade in the works with one of E. Pettersson or Miller on the move. PIT is in as a 3rd team somehow. Wants prospects to take on bad contracts, retain, send out guys like M. Pettersson, Rakell, even Karlsson or Letang.

I go full Vet Sweden if I'm the Sabres.

Rakell
Pettersson
Karlsson 50%

for

Rosen
Quinn
Johnson
Samuelsson
2nd

THEN

EP40

for Byram/Power and Cozens type deal.

 

[Fjordy]

I go full Vet Sweden if I'm the Sabres.

Rakell
Pettersson
Karlsson 50%

for

Rosen
Quinn
Johnson
Samuelsson
2nd

THEN

EP40

for Byram/Power and Cozens type deal.

Buffalo doesn't need Karlsson, we need two defenders in top 4.

 

[Empoleon8771]

That's not really how value works though, is it. Pettersson is a rental, Sabres would only be interested if he signs with them, so basically whatever they'd pay would be simply to have first dibs on negotiating with him.

Samuelsson is who he is. Young with a long term contract. You either think you can use him and see him as valuable or you don't. No "taking off your hands".

That being said, I think there's a discussion to be had. The assets I'd put on the table next to Sammy are Peterka and Johnson, obviously with very different valuations.

Johnson for Pettersson

Peterka for Pettersson + (with deal in place),

Something like that. Smooth out the edges.

But it is, because it's not as simple as "more term is more value". I'm not super well informed about Samuelsson, but just from looking at the stats, he's been taking a few steps back since he signed his big extension. Having a lot of term on a guy who's underachieving isn't a positive, because any team acquiring him is taking a risk that his game continues to regress. It's the same reason why players in their 30s who have term aren't enticing assets.

Something pretty similar happened to Pettersson early in his career, Pettersson has only been the very good shutdown D for about the past 3 years. Before that, he was another struggling young defenseman with a pretty hefty contract with term. From 2020-2022, he was only playing about 16 minutes a night while having 3-4 years left at $4 million. He wasn't a positive value player at that time. Samuelsson isn't as far down as Pettersson was, but a similar idea (young underachieving defensemen with term) is plaguing him now that was plaguing Pettersson earlier in his career.

I don't think Samuelsson has negative value, but I think his value is pretty low right now. If Samuelsson is included in a deal, I think it would be Samuelsson and Rosen for Pettersson with an extension and a smaller piece. If O'Connor wasn't a pending UFA, I'd throw him out as an option for that smaller piece.

 

[howkie]

Matthew Savoie for Pettersson. Done.

Do Edmonton need a another LD?

 

[biturbo19]

Pettersson is interesting even though he is a LD, we lack this type of player. Dahlin plays RD. And the first pair Pettersson - Dahlin makes a lot of sense. Rust most likely in the summer, when his trade protection disappears, Rakell, I don't know, maybe not too suitable, although it depends on how things develop in the near future.

I can see why Pettersson as a player would be interesting to Buffalo...but he's a UFA. You'd have to be really confident that he'll actually sign in Buffalo, to bother moving significant trade chips for him. I'm not sure i'd be so solid on that.

Plus, not only is that UFA pricetag likely to be high...that acquisition cost is bound to be through the roof as you'd be bidding against a bundle of playoff teams for what is very plausibly, the best defenceman actually "on the market".

 

[Fjordy]

I can see why Pettersson as a player would be interesting to Buffalo...but he's a UFA. You'd have to be really confident that he'll actually sign in Buffalo, to bother moving significant trade chips for him. I'm not sure i'd be so solid on that.

Plus, not only is that UFA pricetag likely to be high...that acquisition cost is bound to be through the roof as you'd be bidding against a bundle of playoff teams for what is very plausibly, the best defenceman actually "on the market".

No, well of course a trade implies that Pettersson will sign an extension, not for a rent. For a simple rental, there really is no point in trading for us.