Devils & Sabres Could Be Ideal Trade Partners
JJ Peterka is what the New Jersey Devils need up front, but he's not the only Buffalo Sabre they could target via a trade.
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With the Stanley Cup Final set, the NHL offseason is closer to becoming a reality. Trade rumors are picking up, and more will appear over the next month. There seems to already be noise around the Buffalo Sabres, which could benefit the New Jersey Devils.
JJ Peterka came in at No. 1 on Daily Faceoff's first trade list of the offseason and was in the top 10 of The Athletic's, and he might not be the only Sabre who gets dealt this offseason. Let's look at why they might be ideal trade partners for the Devils.
JJ Peterka
Let's open this article with Peterka. I touched on him briefly in Wednesday's post, but let's expand on his game and why he would be a fit for the Devils to upgrade their top six.
The strength of Peterka's game is his offensive ability. He creates offense off the rush, shots off high-danger passes and capitalizes on those chances. He has a plus shot and has averaged 28 goals per 82 games over the last two seasons.
While I'd call Peterka more of a shooting threat, he's a good playmaker, too. He ranked in the 93rd percentile in high-danger passes in 2024-25, and his other passing metrics were solid, if not better:
The flaw in Peterka's game is that he plays next-to-zero defense. Sheldon Keefe has a history of improving players' two-way games, like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Jack Hughes. Perhaps he can help Peterka round out his game and become more of a complete player.
Peterka is not much of a forechecker, either, but the Devils need another high-end scoring threat on the wing in their top six. He's only 23, so he has plenty of team control and fits in with the rest of the team's core players.
Evolving Hockey projects Peterka to land a six-year deal at a cap hit of $6.608 million if he signs with a new team. The Devils need to move some salary to make it work, but including Dawson Mercer and his $4 million cap hit in a trade makes sense, especially since the Sabres need NHL talent in return.
The Devils would also need to include their 2026 first (with some lottery protection) and possibly a prospect to acquire Peterka. It's a high price to pay, but he's worth it. He's the exact type of top-six winger they could use to improve their roster this offseason, and Mercer being an NHLer and a favorite of Lindy Ruff's could make for an enticing package.
Ryan McLeod
It's no secret the Devils need to find a third-line center this offseason. That's arguably more important than acquiring a top-six winger, and they should have options.
Ryan McLeod's name isn't out there yet, but he would be a match for the Devils. The 25-year-old forward is coming off the best season of his career, in which he totaled 20 goals and 53 points in 79 games.
McLeod shot 20.6 percent this season, so I wouldn't expect him to total 20 goals again with his shot volume. Still, there's an ideal fit for the Devils as their 3C upgrade.
Though McLeod's shooting metrics were among some of the worst in the NHL this season — he ranked in the fifth percentile or lower in Corey Sznajder's tracked data — he excels elsewhere.
McLeod was one of the better playmakers, with his passing metrics ranking in the 84th percentile or better. He also thrives in transition, something the Devils sorely lacked with their third-line centers this season, and his top skating speed ranked in the 82nd percentile.
On top of having some plus playmaking ability and being a high-end puck-mover, McLeod is a stout defensive forward and can win faceoffs. So what would it take to trade for him?
The Sabres acquired McLeod from the Edmonton Oilers last offseason in exchange for Matt Savoie, the ninth overall pick in the 2022 draft. It was a bit of an overpay at the time, but it worked out for the Sabres since McLeod had a career year.
I would not be willing to part with a first-round pick since McLeod is highly likely to regress from the 20 goals he scored this season. If they can strike a deal that includes one of their 2025 seconds and Seamus Casey, there could be a match.
McLeod, like Peterka, is an RFA this offseason, with Evolving Hockey having him sign a four-year extension at a cap hit of $5.528 million. Even though I wouldn't bet on him hitting 20 goals again, he's probably still good for 10-12 goals and 35-40 points moving forward. A $5.528 million cap hit seems reasonable for what he offers since the cap ceiling should hit $110-115 million in two years.
Jack Quinn
Jack Quinn is an interesting player. His counting totals suggest he's a productive player, but many of his metrics don't add up. He finished with 15 goals and 39 points this season, but there are red flags when you peek underneath the hood.
Though Quinn has flashed 20-goal potential, his shot metrics were all in the red, except for his ability to get shots off high-danger passes. He's not the best passer and doesn't get involved on the forecheck.
The one area where he shows some promise is in transition, but he leaves plenty to be desired. Injuries have also been a concern, though he did play in 79 games this season.
I'm not sure what to make of Quinn. Has he stagnated in his development, or is this a product of playing on the Sabres? He turns 24 at the start of next season, so perhaps he needs a change of scenery.
Quinn should be the cheapest to acquire of the Sabres' RFAs, but I could also see a swap for Mercer working. They're two 2020 first-round picks who haven't lived up to expectations and could use fresh starts.
Evolving Hockey has Quinn signing a two-year bridge deal at a cap hit of just over $3.3 million, so even if he's just a 15-20 goal and 40-point player, you'd be getting proper value for him at that cap hit. At least more so than Mercer.
A Match Made in Heaven?
Peterka is the obvious trade target from the Sabres, at least for me. We'll see who else becomes available in the coming weeks, but I'm not sure they'll be a better trade target to give the Devils a needed upgrade on the wing in the top six.
While I like McLeod as a fit, I'm less inclined to believe the Sabres trade him and would guess they view him as part of the solution, but we'll see. Craig Rivet reported the Sabres are gauging the market on Quinn, so he could be an option for the Devils, too.
Regardless, it seems like the two teams are good fits as trade partners, especially if they can find common ground on a Peterka deal.
Advanced stats from Advanced Hockey Stats