3. JJ Peterka
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres felt like they had this amazing young core to build around. They have Tage Thompson, Jack Quinn, Dylan Cozens, and Peyton Krebs, while the defense boasted Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram, and Owen Power, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi in net. It looked like the Sabres were finally ready to compete off their youth, but it wasn’t meant to be. They re-hired Lindy Ruff to be their head coach, and everything has gone wrong since.
The Sabres will likely look to move players, and the young players are not off the table. While Cozens might make sense, his contract is too big a risk to lose Nemec. However, forward J.J. Peterka might be exactly what the Devils want in a trade like this. The former second-round pick is coming off a 28-goal season. He’s only had 10 this season, but the overall skill set is still there.
There’s the added bonus that Nemec would once again be paired with Ruff, who gave him his first opportunity when Hamilton got injured. Ruff got the most out of Nemec, and he might be able to do it again. The Sabres could use another really good player on the right side, and they’d likely play Nemec right away, which is apparently what he’s looking for.