Yesterday, news broke of the inevitable JJ Peterka Buffalo trade. It was a curious decision from the Sabres to say the least parting with a promising 23 year old forward and even more so considering the return of Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan left a lot to be desired.
Unfortunately for Sabres fans, it gets worse. What if I told you Buffalo could have received another talented 23 year old forward in return instead? According to Michael Russo of the New York Times, the Minnesota Wild offered Marco Rossi in exchange for JJ Peterka. The team were apparently also willing to throw in another roster player, picks, prospects, etc.. to make it work.
Why the Sabres would reject such a proposal is questionable. You would be receiving a player in a similar boat as Peterka in Rossi in need of a change of scenary. Marco Rossi is another name who has been on the trade block; he recorded 60 points in 80 games for Wild last season. Meanwhile, Peterka put up similar production with 68 points in 77 games for Buffalo. Both 2020 draft picks, the trade value would have been about as even as you could get.
Perhaps, the Sabres were heavily invested in acquiring a skilled right shot defenseman in Michael Kesselring. And to be fair, it feels forward Josh Doan is just scratching the surface of his potential. In the long run the trade could turn out okay, but today this appears to be another strange move in a long line of odd ones by Buffalo.
