Even though the Buffalo Sabres have won three of their last four games, they’re still far out of a playoff spot. As the franchise approaches its 13th straight season without playoff hockey, general manager Kevyn Adams must try to add significant help for his young group ahead of the March 8 trade deadline. The Sabres’ loaded prospect pool is well documented and the best in the NHL, according to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, but there simply won’t be enough room for all of them on the NHL roster.
Of course, Adams won’t mortgage the future for quick fixes, but he can afford to part ways with some assets for immediate help. This team finished just one point out of a playoff spot last season, and despite being on the outside looking in so close to the deadline, Adams and the Sabres owe it to their long-suffering fans to improve this team right now, continue to play well down the stretch and carry some momentum into next year.
Adams has also been lacking in the trade department. Since acquiring Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs in the Jack Eichel deal with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021, his biggest acquisition was Jordan Greenway. To be fair, it may have taken a while, but Greenway has finally hit his stride with the Sabres, tallying 20 points in 47 games this season and turning into one of the most reliable penalty-killers in the NHL. Adams is capable of making that kind of move(s) again. Here’s a look at three potential targets.
Scott Laughton
Scott Laughton is a big part of the Philadelphia Flyers’ identity. He’s a veteran centre with sandpaper in his game who can contribute offensively. However, it would be hard for Flyers general manager Daniel Briere not to consider moving Laughton, given the big returns we saw for players like Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan. According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, a potential return for Laughton should look something similar to the Barclay Goodrow trade in 2020.
Laughton is currently riding a career-high, seven-game point streak with 10 points. The 29-year-old is in his 10th season with the Flyers, who continue to shock the hockey world by being in a playoff spot at the end of February. The Oakville, Ontario native would be a perfect fit for the Sabres. He comes with a great cap hit of $3 million for two more seasons, adds some grit, and would be close to home.
Boone Jenner
Like Laughton, Boone Jenner is a heart and soul player for the Columbus Blue Jackets. After Nick Foligno’s departure in 2021, Jenner was the natural fit to be the next Blue Jackets captain and has done a marvelous job ever since. The organization has been through a lot — from players not wanting to stay to a coaching turnover to poor results — but Jenner has been one of the few bright spots on his team. The 30-year-old veteran is close to achieving his third consecutive 20-goal season.
His cap hit is only $750,000 more than Laughton’s for the next two seasons, which is excellent. Jenner brings that kind of element that blue-collar fans in Buffalo would love to have on their team. Plus, if Jenner wanted to get a sense of what it would be like to play there, he could ask former Blue Jackets teammate Eric Robinson, who the Sabres acquired for a conditional seventh-round pick back on Dec. 6.
“I’ll be very transparent, we get a lot of calls on Boone, but Boone’s not going anywhere.”
– John Davidson, Columbus Blue Jackets’ President of Hockey Operations and Interim General Manager – The Jeff Marek Show – 02/16/24
The Blue Jackets might not want to move him, but a team like the Sabres could certainly entice them with a first-round pick and a really good prospect to add to an already strong nucleus of young players in Columbus. As we examine this, we can’t forget about the fact that they’ve traded a captain before, and teams are calling. Anything’s possible this time of year.
Philip Broberg
The 6-foot-4 defender was selected eighth overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He’s got the pedigree but hasn’t been able to pull it all together. In 79 NHL appearances, he has two goals and nine assists. Earlier this season, Broberg was sent down to the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League after having zero points in 10 games with the Oilers and was made available by general manager Ken Holland.
Broberg has since thrived with the Condors. Before being ruled out last week due to injury, in 29 games, he had an impressive 19 points and a plus-11 rating. Given his output in the AHL, plenty of teams should be calling Holland. A prospect swap between the Oilers and the Sabres would make sense, given the fact that another entry-level deal wouldn’t complicate the Oilers’ cap situation (via CapFriendly). Broberg’s production hasn’t translated to the NHL level yet, but he’s only 22 years old.
We’ve heard Adams talk about bringing in players who can grow with the team in Buffalo. Well, Broberg is young enough to fit that bill and potentially fill that top-four defenceman void for the Sabres. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt for him to be in the presence of another talented blueliner from Sweden, Rasmus Dahlin. Broberg is in the final year of his three-year, entry-level deal worth $863,333 annually. If the Sabres were to acquire him, it likely wouldn’t cost much to sign him to an extension.
There are two themes here. The first is contract certainty, which applies to Laughton and Jenner. The second is team control — Broberg is a pending restricted free agent. These things are very important for the Sabres. Knowing how these trade targets will fit under the cap and how long they are under contract will factor into the decisions they’ll have to make both now and in the near future. We’ll see what happens on deadline day.
Related: NHL Trade Bait List for 2024 Trade Deadline