The Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres both missed the playoffs last season, and one insider has them making a massive five-player deal.
NHL insider Zoro Sekhon of NHLTradeRumors mocked a trade that would see the Blackhawks acquire JJ Peterka in a five-player blockbuster.
Blackhawks acquire:
- JJ Peterka
- Bowen Byram
- 2025 first-round pick (ninth overall)
Sabres acquire:
- Lukas Reichel
- Nolan Allan
- Laurent Brossoit
- 2025 first-round pick (third overall)
The proposed deal would be a blockbuster, but it makes sense for both teams.
Chicago would move down in the draft, but would acquire two impact NHL players. The Blackhawks would acquire Peterka, who’s a pending RFA and would be a top-six player for Chicago. Last season, he recorded 27 goals and 41 assists for 68 points in 77 games.
The Blackhawks would also get Byram, who would be a second or third-pair defenseman. Byram is also a pending RFA, so he would need to be signed. Byram recorded 7 goals and 31 assists for 38 points in 82 games.
In return, the Blackhawks would trade the third overall pick as well as three players. Chicago would trade Reichel, who was a first-round pick in 2020. Reichel could be a middle-six forward for Buffalo as he recorded 8 goals and 14 assists for 22 points in 70 games.
Buffalo would also get Allan, who was a first-round pick in 2021 and would replace Byram on the blue line. Allan is a solid defensive defenseman, but last season, he did have 1 goal and 7 assists for 8 points in 43 games.
The final player Buffalo would get is Brossoit, who’s a veteran goalie. Brossoit could be Buffalo’s backup as he has one year left on his two-year, $6.6 million deal.
Analyst Explains Blackhawks-Sabres Trade
The proposed deal by Sekhon would be a blockbuster, but a trade that also makes sense for both teams.
“Buffalo would secure a top-3 pick, targeting a franchise cornerstone like James Hagens, Michael Misa, or Porter Martone,” Sekhon wrote about why the deal makes sense. “Chicago gets immediate reinforcements: Byram bolsters their young defense, while Peterka could form an electric duo with Bedard.”
The analyst then called the trade a win-win for both the Blackhawks and Sabres.
“This trade could be a rare win-win. The Sabres would stockpile elite prospects, while the Blackhawks might fast-track their return to contention. Perhaps even flirting with a 2025-26 wild-card spot,” Sekhon added.
Buffalo and Chicago both missed the playoffs last season and are looking to compete for a playoff spot next year.
Blackhawks GM Optimistic About Team
Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson believes the team is building something special.
Chicago is a rebuilding team, but back in January, Davidson felt like his team was on the verge of something special
“I’m probably more optimistic having seen the years our young players are having throughout the organization,” Davidson said. “I’m probably more optimistic now than I was in the summer in that respect.”
Although he is more optimistic, Davidson did want his team to win more games and be more competitive.
“For this group at the NHL level, I did expect a little more and we made a coaching change because of that,” Davidson said. “That’s a pretty big indicator that I didn’t feel the group was where they needed to be. So, that in itself is disappointing, but a macro level and much higher-level view, I’m really excited and really happy with where things are headed. Like you said, the NHL team, I wish we did have a little more success here in the first half than we have. But it doesn’t diminish the progress I think we’re making big picture.”
Trade Pitch Sees Blackhawks Acquiring Peterka in 5-Player Blockbuster