JJ Peterka was traded to Utah for a surprisingly light return. Did the Blackhawks miss their chance to land a rising star? Here’s why Chicago fans are questioning Kyle Davidson—and what this says about Buffalo’s rebuild strategy.

On June 25, JJ Peterka was traded to the Utah Mammoth in return for (wait for it) Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring. That’s it. No draft picks. 

It was rumored that Kyle Davidson was in trade talks with the Buffalo Sabres, but nothing official, yet. Did Davidson offer the third overall pick? Could Davidson have offered better players than what Utah offered? Are fans justified in their skepticism that Davidson couldn’t get the deal done?

https://twitter.com/NHLRumourReport/status/1938076712773857411

JJ Peterka, Welcome to Utah

Buffalo made an error in trading away Peterka, period. Peterka is a potential star player at 23 years old; he immediately makes the Sabres better. Even though Peterka wanted out of Buffalo, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams could have kept him and matched any offer sheet thrown at Peterka, who was a pending restricted free agent. 

Instead, they traded him for two young players. Doan, a decent young forward at 23, and Kesselring, a large right-handed defenseman at 25 years of age. Kesselring fills a need for Buffalo, who needed a right-handed defenseman for Owen Power on the second pairing. 

No draft picks makes it very interesting. The Sabres want players who can impact now, much like how the Florida Panthers acquire their players. But draft picks still hold value.

What Could the Blackhawks Have Offered?

The Blackhawks’ third overall pick carries value. Even if the Sabres are looking for players who can help now, that’s an asset. But let’s start with the Sabres’ need: a right-handed defenseman.

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Connor Murphy, at 32 years old, isn’t getting this deal done. Even with the Blackhawks pick. The only young forwards that the Blackhawks could have added in a Murphy deal are Colton Dach and Lukas Reichel. Both of those players are huge gambles for the Sabres because they want established players, not maybes. Especially not one that has struggled in the NHL (Reichel). 

Louis Crevier is a right-handed defenseman, but he’s not playing on the Sabres’ second pair. Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov are untouchable in any trade.

So, the Hawks don’t have anything they can directly answer the Sabres’ need. But they can still give them something. A package that includes draft picks (doesn’t have to be the third overall) and players like Kevin Korchinski would have given the Sabres assets they could have flipped. 

This is a deal that could have worked, but didn’t.

Why Didn’t It Work?

https://twitter.com/BenPopeCST/status/1938277160319385858

Trading the number three overall pick for JJ Peterka still carries some risk. Peterka isn’t a star just yet. If the Blackhawks somehow land Michael Misa at the draft, Misa carries more upside. 

We don’t know what, if anything, Davidson included in a potential trade package. But when we look at what the Mammoth offered, I find it very hard to believe that the Blackhawks couldn’t create a more enticing package. 

Whatever is going on in Buffalo is scary. Not because I feel bad for their fans (I do, and so does their GM). But it’s a team that I don’t want the Blackhawks to become. Rebuilds take time. But when losing takes its toll on the young players you drafted, it doesn’t matter how many high-end draft picks you accumulate. At some point, you’ll have to part ways and inject established players outside of the draft. 

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