The Buffalo Sabres are open to trading JJ Peterka, a young and talented hockey player who scored 68 points last season. The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of the teams interested in him, and they might have a couple of players who could be part of the trade.
One player the Penguins could offer is Bryan Rust. He’s a very valuable part of their team and had his best season recently, scoring 31 goals and 34 assists in 71 games. He’s also a two-time Stanley Cup winner and is known for scoring in important moments. Rust has a no-movement clause, which means he can’t be traded without his permission, but that rule ends soon. He has three years left on his contract and makes about $5.1 million a year. Even though the Penguins might not want to lose him, they could trade him along with another player or some draft picks to get Peterka.
If Buffalo doesn’t want Rust, another option could be Rickard Rakell. He also had a strong season, with 35 goals and 35 assists in 81 games. His contract is similar to Rust’s, with three years left and a \$5 million yearly salary. However, Rakell has a list of eight teams he doesn’t want to be traded to, and Buffalo might be on that list. He also doesn’t bring the same leadership or experience as Rust, so Pittsburgh would likely need to offer more alongside him to make the deal work.
Another name mentioned was Erik Karlsson, an older defenseman, but it’s unlikely he’ll be traded because he has a full no-movement clause. There’s also a chance Buffalo could offer young defenseman Bowen Byram as part of a bigger trade with Pittsburgh.
Right now, nothing is certain, but both teams could start talking soon. If they do, a lot of different players and picks might be discussed to make the trade happen.