JJ Peterka trade grades: Who won the Sabres and Mammoth deal?
It seemed fairly certain that JJ Peterka would be dealt in the 2025 NHL offseason -- he was set to be a restricted free agent and was going to get a BIG raise and deservedly so. The German forward who was a 2020 second-rounder for the Buffalo Sabres came off a career-high in points and assists to add to another solid goal-scoring season with 27.
And that's what happened as we get set for the 2025 NHL Draft. The Sabres dealt him to the Utah Mammoth, which means it's time for us to hand out some trade grades to see who won this one.
Let's dive in:
JJ Peterka trade details for the Sabres and Mammoth
SABRES GET: F Josh Doan, D Michael Kesselring
MAMMOTH GET: F JJ Peterrka (and they immediately signed him to a five-year deal with an AAV of $7.7 million)
Utah Mammoth trade grade
The Mammoth are building something really good here. They've got a great core with names like Logan Cooley, Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther and Mikhail Sergachev. Now? They added some firepower at the wing with Peterka without giving up a ton.
Peterka does need to work on his defense if he really wants to be a star in the league, but what we've seen on offense at such a young age is pretty fantastic. This is the right kind of move for a team on the rise, and I'm betting he'll live up to that contract right away and best that career-high.
GRADE: A-
Buffalo Sabres trade grade
It's such a bummer that the Sabres can't keep him. Let's start there. But if there was any indication that he didn't want to be in Buffalo long-term, they might as well get something back.
They got two somethings back: the 6-foot-5 Kesselring has some potential to be in the mix in the top-two defensemen for the club, while Doan -- yes, he's the son of Shane Doan -- could add some two-way bite to the Sabres.
It's not a bad return at all, but given Peterka's untapped potential, it just may not be enough when we look back on this trade in a few years.
GRADE: B
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New York Times
24 minutes ago
- New York Times
What's I'm hearing about the Wild: Offer for Peterka, latest on with Rossi and more
ST. PAUL, Minn. — In an offseason that carries the expectation that the Wild will hit home runs simply because the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyout dead money charges are being significantly reduced, one of the big fish the Wild have pursued was traded elsewhere Wednesday night. As The Athletic has reported for weeks, JJ Peterka was one of the high-scoring wingers Minnesota — and several other teams — were pursuing. But the Buffalo Sabres dealt him to the Wild's Central Division rival, the Utah Mammoth, for right-shot defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward prospect Josh Doan. Peterka then promptly signed a five-year extension worth $7.7 million per. Advertisement So what's going on with the Wild as the NHL Draft approaches this weekend and free agency Tuesday? (The Wild are presently without a first-rounder and have four picks in total.) We'll have an opportunity to talk to Wild president and general manager Bill Guerin on Thursday at noon as a media contingency, and he's joining me when at 5 p.m. when I fill in for Dan Barreiro on KFAN later in the day (so tune in!). So we'll ask Guerin for all the details. But for now, here's what I'm hearing from league sources: You can bet several teams were surprised by the modest return for Peterka and felt they offered more. One had to be the Wild. The Wild offered center Marco Rossi as the starting point in any package and were willing to include another roster player and/or prospects and picks. But the Sabres weren't interested in adding another undersized forward, even though Rossi was so integral in the Wild making the playoffs and is coming off back-to-back 20-goal seasons and career-high 60 points in just his second full season. The Sabres were especially focused on adding a right-shot defenseman. 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Advertisement The problem will be the average annual value of a contract. The Wild initially offered Rossi a five-year, $25 million contract earlier this winter. That wasn't accepted. Rossi countered with a shorter term at a higher AAV. That wasn't accepted. The Wild have no interest in offering Rossi a longer term in the $6 or $7 million range. Essentially, the Wild like Rossi at a certain number. They recently offered Rossi a bridge deal at an AAV at less than $5 million. That, too, was rejected. On a three-year term, Evolving-Hockey estimates Rossi is a $5.262 million player this summer. On a five-year term, the site has him at $6.067 million. On a seven-year term, it's at $6.688 million. Last summer, the Carolina Hurricanes wanted to trade Martin Necas, but he wouldn't agree to an extension with the handful of teams Carolina found as landing spots. In the end, the two sides begrudgingly agreed to a two-year deal worth $6.5 million. 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New York Times
39 minutes ago
- New York Times
A late-night blockbuster trade. Plus: Why you need to care about this NHL draft
Red Light newsletter 🏒 | This is The Athletic's hockey newsletter. Sign up here to receive Red Light directly in your inbox. I don't know about you, but I didn't get a whole lot of sleep thanks to the Mammoth and Sabres pulling off a blockbuster just before midnight last night. Let's break it down… We'd been hearing rumblings about J.J. Peterka's availability for weeks now, going back to the combine in Buffalo when I listed both these teams as likely to be big players this offseason. The player wasn't happy on the struggling Sabres, and he had real leverage after back-to-back seasons clearing 25 goals at a young age. Utah, meanwhile, had acres of cap space – more than $18 million, fifth most in the league before the deal – and a new market and owner that wanted to go big. Mission accomplished, Ryan Smith. Did the Sabres get enough – power forward prospect Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring – for one of their best young players? 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Many will recall the Islanders taking Rick DiPietro first in 2000, making him just the second goalie ever drafted with the top pick. But do you remember the 1972 and 1973 drafts when they set the table for an 1980s dynasty by taking Billy Harris (who was later traded for Butch Goring) and Denis Potvin? Question 2, however, should be a relatively easy one: Aaron Ekblad to the Panthers, drafted from the Barrie Colts back in 2014. The other three defensemen to go No. 1 in the past 28 years? Erik Johnson (2006), Rasmus Dahlin (2018) and Owen Power (2021). Pretty good company for Schaefer, who is a kid worth rooting for. 📫 Love Red Light? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters. (Top photo of J.J. Peterka: Bill Wippert / NHLI via Getty Images)
New York Times
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