The Buffalo Sabres should be in the market for an impact top-six forward after dealing winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth for defenseman Michael Kesselring and winger Josh Doan, but the opening weeks of free agency did not provide GM Kevyn Adams with an opportunity to replace Peterka’s production, and with the two-year deal signed earlier this month with defenseman Bowen Byram, Adams will have to try to acquire a scoring forward with younger players, prospects, and/or draft picks.
Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha, after a pair of 21-goal campaigns and signing a four-year contract extension, dipped last year to 14 goals. The 28-year-old was a sixth-overall pick of the Devils in 2015 and played his first six seasons in New Jersey and two years under Lindy Ruff before being dealt to Beantown for Erik Haula in 2022.
Part of Zacha’s success in Boston has been playing on a line with countryman David Pastrnak, but the Bruins appear to be undergoing a transition after dealing veterans like Brandon Carlo, Brad Marchand, and Charlie Coyle at last year’s deadline. Although GM Don Sweeney has made efforts to remain competitive with the signings of Tanner Jeannot, re-signing former Sabre Henri Jokiharju, and trading for Viktor Arvidsson, many believe that the glory days in Boston are over with and the reset may continue with moving players like Zacha out.
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What Would It Cost?
The Bruins are weak up the middle after the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, along with the underwhelming performance of Elias Lindholm, which is one of the reasons why they have played Zacha up the middle. If Boston falls out of playoff competition early, Sweeney will probably try to continue the reset. They would likely want a young center like Konsta Helenius in a Zacha deal, but the Sabres probably would balk at that and instead prefer to give up Noah Ostlund.
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