Buffalo has one of the most exciting groups of young talent in the NHL, with
Tage Thompson,
Dylan Cozens,
Rasmus Dahlin and
JJ Peterka supplemented by
Owen Power,
Zach Benson,
Jack Quinn,
Peyton Krebs and
Bowen Byram. All of these players are either locked up long-term or under team control as restricted free agents. In some ways, this makes Ehlers a perfect fit: Buffalo could absorb his $6 million AAV in 2024-25, while not being tied to it the following season — which just so happens to be when Peterka, Quinn and Byram will all need new contracts.
The Sabres played to a positive goal differential last season, despite missing the playoffs by seven points. They’re an intriguing mix of on the way up and in need of improvement, whether it comes from their own development or an upgrade like Ehlers. Buffalo also has the
top prospect pool in the NHL and all of its own picks in the first four rounds of the next three drafts, offering a ton of options for futures-based trades. Matthew Fairburn has recently written about
the possibility of Buffalo moving the No. 11 pick.
That’s where things get tricky, though.
It’s easy to talk about that pick or to covet prospects like Noah Ostlund. That calibre of prospect seems like a difficult ask for one year of Ehlers’ services. Matthew Savoie would have intrigue, too, but also seems like the sort of prospect Buffalo would resist moving. The undersized overager tore apart the WHL last season. Defencemen Ryan Johnson, Nikita Novikov and Maxim Strbak may also have appeal to the Jets, whose prospect pool is deeper up front than on the back end.
www.nytimes.com
