JJ Peterka is indeed on the move out of Buffalo.
The 23-year old German, coming off a career-best 68-point season, is no longer a Sabres forward. He’ll join the Utah Mammoth as a rising star on the wing.
In return, multiple reports indicate Buffalo is getting back Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring.
It’s a tough trade for the Sabres, because it always is hard to give up the best player in one of these 1-for-2 deals.
Doan is the youthful part of the return, a 23-year old wing himself.
He has yet to be as effective at the NHL level after being taken No. 37 overall in the 2021 draft out of Arizona State.
In 2024-25, Doan had seven goals and 12 assists in 51 NHL games. The 6-foot-2 right wing had a very low shooting percentage (8.0%). If that rises, he’ll have a chance to be more successful.
Kesselring is an established, 25-year old defenseman with a righty shot.
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He’s 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, an imposing presence.
Kesselring played all 82 games in 2024-25, delivering seven goals and 22 assists to go along with 67 shot blocks and 87 hits.
He shouldn’t be a top-line defender, but as a depth piece, Kesselring seems like a great guy to have around long term, too.
Peterka is a tough loss, but the Sabres didn’t do bad here, especially if they felt they had no choice but to send Peterka away.
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