The NHL offseason is almost in full swing, and at this time of the season, the rumor mill gets turned up to the max as teams are looking to make moves to help their chances of improving going into next season. For the New York Rangers, this offseason is all about fixing a broken roster and getting back to the playoffs and contending for a Stanley Cup. They will look to be one of the busier teams this offseason when it comes to making trades, but they are going to need trading partners to help make these deals happen. In this piece, we are going to over why the third team in New York, the Buffalo Sabres, is the perfect trading partner for the Rangers this offseason.
Both Teams Are Looking to Shake Up Their Rosters
It’s not hard to see why both of these teams are looking to shake up their rosters going into next season. For the Sabres, it’s quite simple. They have failed to make the playoffs for 14 consecutive seasons, and every time they think they are getting back on track, something happens that causes the team to fall short every season. Whether it was the Jack Eichel saga in 2021 when they refused to let him get the neck surgery he wanted, and they traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights, or maybe it’s the fact that most of the players they have traded away or let go have gone on to find much more success elsewhere, like Sam Reinhart, Ryan O’Reilly and Brandon Montour. They have been the laughing stock of the league for far too long, and changes need to be made if they want to try and at least be a competitive team next season.
Lindy Ruff, Head Coach of the Buffalo Sabres (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
The Rangers had a season to forget in 2024-25. Off-ice drama combined with poor on-ice play led to the team missing the playoffs a year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy and making it to Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final. The veteran group of players on this team failed to show up this season, and now, many of them are going to be on the chopping block this offseason, as general manager Chris Drury looks to modify this roster, and nothing seems to be off the table. Both of these teams need to make changes, and both have players who could help the other team fix their issues.
Both Teams Could Solve Each Other’s Problems
Two of the Rangers’ biggest needs this offseason are finding a top-four left-handed defenseman and finding a top-six winger. There are four players on the Sabres whose names have come up in trade rumors that could be of interest to the Rangers. Those players are J.J. Peterka, Bowen Byram, Alex Tuch and Owen Power. Starting with the defensemen, the Sabres have too many left-handed defensemen on the team if you count these two players and Rasmus Dahlin. One of them needs to go, and it won’t be Dahlin, so either Power or Byram could be moved. The latter of the two is the name rumored the most because he is going to be a restricted free agent (RFA), and it doesn’t seem that both sides can find the middle ground to make a deal. As for the two wingers mentioned, either one of them coming over would be a major upgrade over what the Rangers had last season, and both of them would still be under team control, with Peterka being an RFA and Tuch still having another year on his deal.
Related: New York Rangers’ Top 3 Priorities This Offseason
The Rangers are in a similar spot and have many names out there in the rumor mill that could be of interest to the Sabres. Those names include Chris Kreider, Alexis Lafreniere, K’Andre Miller, and Braden Schneider. With Miller and Schneider, both of these players were once seen as the future of the Rangers’ defense core, but neither of them has taken the step and proven to be those kinds of players. A change of scenery could benefit both of them, same goes for the two forwards mentioned. Both Kreider and Lafreniere had down seasons offensively, and while it’s more likely that Kreider is gone this offseason than Lafreniere, both of these players could see themselves on new teams next season if the right deal is found, and maybe one of them ends up in Buffalo.
What Could a Potential Trade Look Like?
The first trade that came to mind was a swap of defensemen. The Rangers are looking to upgrade their left side, and the Sabres are looking to upgrade their right side. A deal centered around Byram for Schneider would make a lot of sense for both sides, as it fills a need for both teams. The Rangers’ top two on the left side could be Miller and Byram if Miller stays, and Schneider could easily slot into a top-four role with the Sabres. Could a deal featuring Lafreniere and Peterka be something that gets done, as it has been rumored since the trade deadline that the Rangers have major interest in Peterka? For the Sabres, Lafreniere would be a young winger who can replace Peterka, and he is locked up for the next seven seasons, so they would not have to worry about him leaving anytime soon if they did trade for him.
Alexis Lafreniere, New York Rangers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Could a package deal be on the table that sees both teams send multiple players to the other team? Maybe a deal like Kreider and Miller/Schneider for Tuch and Byram could be one that benefits both sides. While other pieces would have to be added to make the trade fair, it could be a good starting point. There could also be other players not mentioned in this piece that could be of interest to both teams. Anything is possible this offseason, especially with both of these teams looking to be aggressive heading into next season.
The Rangers and Sabres are two teams in two very different positions. One team is trying to get back to being Stanley Cup contenders, and the other is just trying to make the playoffs at the bare minimum. Both teams are unhappy with how this season has played out, and both have GMs who are eager to make some big moves this offseason. If you are a fan of either of these teams, keep an eye out for a deal between the Rangers and Sabres because it could be a trade that impacts both teams for years to come if it does happen.
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