Alex Tuch
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres also play in the Atlantic Division, and they seem to be far behind the Red Wings, let alone those at the top of the division. The Sabres traded J.J. Peterka to the Utah Mammoth this offseason, showing they are willing to make a move if a player doesn’t want to be there. They also traded Dylan Cozens last season for Josh Norris and a few other pieces.
We see more trades coming from the Sabres this season. They won’t be good, so it’s time to get the most out of this roster and set them up better when the young players are ready to compete. Tage Thompson is signed long-term, so we don’t see him moving. Alex Tuch, on the other hand, is on the final year of his contract and heading to unrestricted free agency.
There are a few teams that will target Tuch. He brings grit to Jack Hughes’s line. And, he is coming off a 36-goal season.
Imagine the Devils adding 36 goals to the top line with Hughes? Could that get Hughes to 100 points? This could be an underrated slam dunk.
Ryan O'Reilly
Nashville Predators
This again? Yes, we’re talking about Ryan O’Reilly to the New Jersey Devils again. The Nashville Predators were expected to compete last season, but they fell to the bottom of the league. Many think they might try to reset some of their moves, including Jonathan Marchessault, but that might be a harder trade to make work with his no-move clause.
O’Reilly has no trade protection, even though rumors say the Predators were going to give him the right of refusal for trades. Still, would O’Reilly want to stay on a loser this late in his career? It’s not like he has a commitment to Nashville. He played there for just a few years. At 34 years old, he’s looking at just a few more seasons, if that, of high-caliber impact on the ice.
The Devils would love to get O’Reilly from the Predators. We keep going to this well because he’s such a perfect fit for this roster. Adding O’Reilly to the Devils would make their top six amazing. They would also be ready for the playoffs with a player like O’Reilly on the top line.
O’Reilly-Hughes-Bratt would be near impossible to stop. In Sheldon Keefe’s system, O’Reilly would thrive, and the Devils would get more offense with this partnership.