Buffalo Sabres trade Peterka to Utah Mammoth to acquire Kesselring and Doan, AP source says
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres' long-anticipated offseason retooling began late Wednesday night with the team agreeing to trade forward JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth to acquire forward Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring, a person with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed to The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced by the teams. DailyFaceoff was the first to report the trade.
This is a major swap of young players all within their first three seasons of NHL experience.
The 23-year-old Peterka is coming off consecutive 25-plus goal seasons, and was scheduled to become a restricted free agent next week. He is anticipated to already be in discussions on a new contract with Utah.
Doan, a 23-year-old winger, is the son of longtime Arizona Coyotes star Shane Doan, and his departure is the organization's latest move that separates this Salt Lake City chapter from the past. He had seven goals and 19 points in his rookie season with Utah last year.
Kesselring, a 25-year-old defenseman, played alongside Doan for the U.S. when it won the world championships in May for the first time since 1933. He completed his second full NHL season with seven goals and 29 points — both career highs.
The Sabres were expected to shake up their roster after a disappointing finish in Lindy Ruff's first season back with the team. Buffalo finished 14th in the Eastern Conference standings and extended its NHL-record playoff drought to a 14th season.
The Mammoth, meantime, acquire a promising offensive star while keeping their No. 4 pick in the NHL draft on Friday night.
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New York Times
22 minutes ago
- New York Times
What I'm hearing ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft: Penguins trading up? Where does James Hagens land?
LOS ANGELES — It's NHL Draft Eve, so I'll cut to the chase and spare you the intro. Here's everything I've been hearing in the final hours ahead of Friday night at the Peacock Theater, plus a last-minute draft ranking tweak I'd make and some quotes and insights that I gathered over the course of this season. There are a few names that I've been hearing a lot in recent weeks and days that I wanted to draw some attention to: Russians Daniil Prokhorov, Alexander Zharovsky and Semyon Frolov, Acadie-Bathurst Titan defenseman Will Reynolds and Czech forward Vaclav Nestrasil. There are multiple teams prepared to take Prokhorov, a 6-5 winger with secondary scoring and a nose for the dirty areas, in the first round. Zharovsky got mixed reviews coming out of Dan Milstein's Gold Star camp in Fort Lauderdale because of just how far behind the curve he is physically, but there are some that still rate him higher than people realize. I believe Prokhorov is gone in the early 20s and won't be surprised if he goes late teens. Zharovsky and Nestrasil could both go late first, and if they don't, they will be gone very early on Day 2. Frolov is viewed by some as the 1A or 1B goalie in this class to Joshua Ravensbergen. Don't be surprised if Ravensbergen slips out of the first round, either. I'm less and less convinced the Predators take him with one of their late firsts. Advertisement Reynolds' name came a little out of nowhere in the second half. He's a big, strong, competitive D who can really skate, and while his production (16 points in 69 combined regular-season and playoff games) doesn't scream second-rounder, I believe he's going to go there now; multiple teams have him rated firmly there. It sounds like he's a couple of inches bigger than his 6-foot-2.5 listing as well. Plus, he's an August 2007 birthday, which puts him on the younger side of this class. His game translates to the NHL and what teams are now looking for in D. 'From (January) to now, he had his development trajectory skyrocket,' said one source on Reynolds. I was already hearing a lot about the Penguins before the Rangers made the decision to transfer the No. 12 pick to them to complete the J.T. Miller trade. As I've reported, I know they'd inquired with the Blackhawks about the No. 3 pick and have been aggressive in looking into moving up. It sounds like they like both Porter Martone and James Hagens a lot. I've also heard they like Roger McQueen. I believe Martone's going top five, so they'd have to jump into the 3-5 range to grab him. I'm less sure Hagens goes top five, but I also believe the Flyers and Bruins like him at No. 6-7. So those are your scenarios. After polling scouts about McQueen, I believe he goes in the 8-10 range and could see any of the Kraken, Sabres and certainly Ducks take him (multiple people have linked McQueen and the Ducks to me). If McQueen's gone and they stand pat, the names I've heard tied to the Penguins are lefty defensemen Kashawn Aitcheson and Jackson Smith (who they both spent extra time with in Buffalo at the combine and would give them a top left-shot D prospect opposite emerging righty Harrison Brunicke) and winger Lynden Lakovic, who I think is in play starting with the Penguins. Kyle Dubas has never been shy to move back, either, so I don't think that door is shut (though they need quantity more than quality after acquiring more of the former since Dubas took over). A little more than a year ago, Hagens set the U18 Worlds single-tournament points record with 22 points in just seven games in Finland, and entered the summer before his draft year as the front-runner to be the No. 1 pick. Now, I'm starting to get the sense he's not going to be a top-five pick. As things stand right now, I don't think the Sharks, Blackhawks or Mammoth take him at 2, 3 or 4. And while I think he makes a lot of sense for the Preds at No. 5 — and I'd take him there — they've shown a lot of interest in Martone throughout this year, and I think he's likely their selection if he's there. If Martone goes before the Preds' pick at No. 5, which is a real possibility, I could see Nashville circle back to Hagens. But the chalk version that I've got in my head right now has Hagens going No. 6 or No. 7 to the Flyers or Bruins. Advertisement I do know there are teams that have Hagens as their target in potential trade-up scenarios, however, and the Islanders have explored trying to add a second top-five pick, presumably to take Hagens, who's from Long Island. (Those trades almost never happen, but wouldn't that be something?). I mentioned it briefly on the pod last week, but I wanted to highlight a note on Malcolm Spence. (If you're faint of heart, maybe don't read ahead.) I was a little surprised when Spence, who'd previously been listed at 201 pounds by NHL Central Scouting, weighed in at 190 pounds at the combine in Buffalo, and it was enough of a loss that I decided to ask around. As it turns out, the weight loss happened after he 'split his tongue in half' earlier this year. After getting it stitched, it got infected, swelled and eventually grew a blood clot. Spence ended up in the hospital after one particularly tough bus ride home, and the hospital had to bring in a dentist and an oral surgeon to lance the growth off. He struggled to eat for a while and even had trouble breathing for a time. Though he played with a bubble cage, he lost 10 pounds, and it sounds like it impacted his season. Spence still finished the year with a respectable 36 goals (including five shorties, second-most in the OHL) and 82 points in 74 combined regular-season and playoff games, but he moved from the front half of the first round entering the season to the back half of the first round exiting it. He has since committed to the University of Michigan and projects to play at 215 pounds in the NHL. He also did well in his interviews at the combine, by the sounds of it. I'll be interested to see where he goes on Friday night, but I'd guess early 20s. Every year, in the days between the release of my final draft board and the draft itself, continued conversations and video work (normally prompted by those conversations) always seem to lead me to some flip-flopping and hair-pulling about my list. Advertisement This year, there's only one that I've kept coming back to, and it's a minor one: I think I'd move Cullen Potter down two or three spots to No. 18 or No. 19, which would move Jackson Smith and Lynden Lakovic up one spot each to No. 16 and No. 17, respectively, and maybe Cameron Reid up one to No. 18 as well. Skating coach Jordan Trach on Roger McQueen: 'I think he has got substantially better in the last couple of years. He was always very big and awkward and had very good skills. His skating, his body just seemed to never catch up to his muscles. He always just skated like he was too weak. He catered to his own body. When you're skating, you want to load your legs, and he would always unload his legs because he wasn't strong enough to keep them going. And truth be told, I think he is still growing. I just saw him last week, and I think he's like 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7 now, and I think he's just going to get stronger, and stronger and stronger in his skating ability. If I'm looking at my draft list, I'm so excited about a 6-foot-6, right-handed shot centreman with skill. Those guys don't come around often. There are still a lot of GMs and scouts that won't argue that fact that a big, skilled guy is better than a small, skilled guy. Everyone loads up on a little more meat on their bones for playoffs. It's a part of the game.' A scout on Matthew Schaefer: 'I think when you see him, the first thing that pops out at you is that he's an effortless skater. The second thing that jumps out is his high IQ and his ability to make plays with and without the puck. And I think when you watch games, shift after shift and game after game, he's the best player on the ice a lot of times. And he has done that at the U17 level, he's done that at the world U18 level, he's done that at the Ivan Hlinka level, and he's just a very mature, responsible player where nothing is too big for him, no situation is too big for him offensively or defensively. It's a lot of smart, simple plays. You see a lot of highlight reel plays, but he doesn't have to do highlight reel plays to be a very effective player. People talk about it being a 19-year-old tournament and the reason you talk about it being a 19-year-old tournament is because a lot of the younger guys might be physically mature enough but they don't have that pro mentality or that of a 19-year-old world junior player where a lot of the time the simple play is more effective. Schaefer has that ability to just make smart, simple, quick plays, which is what wins you hockey games.' A scout on Porter Martone: 'Porter brings size, a high-skill package, he's got hockey sense and good hands, and he's a big body who is always in the middle of everything. When you see Porter Martone play, he's not a great skater but he gets to where he needs to be and he's kind of a Ryan Smyth type of guy where he's always around the action, he's always around the net, he's always in the corners, pluys he's got the hand skills and the offensive creativity to be a aprt of a lot of offensive chances. I think you're looking at a pretty complete player who's got size and brings an edge to his game, so he can complement a lot of players. He can be up and down your lineup. He can be with a lot of skill players and be net-front or working the corners or he can be on the fourth line and be more physical.' (Photos of Kyle Dubas and James Hagens: Jeff Vinnick / NHLI via Getty Images and Michael Miller / ISI Photos / Getty Images)
New York Times
23 minutes ago
- New York Times
NHL rumblings: Tampering penalties and Marner signing timeline, plus latest on Giroux, Gibson, more
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'If we are made aware of tampering going on, we will be required to act.' What are the repercussions for a team found to be tampering? 'Fines, suspensions and potential loss of draft picks,' Daly said. So, will we see an impact when James Duthie welcomes the hockey world on TSN's Free Agent Frenzy on Tuesday? Will it be a little quieter than normal in the first hour after the market opens? Hard to say, honestly. Let's be real: Any team waiting until July 1 to communicate for the first time with a notable unrestricted free agent is toast. They would get left in the dust by their competition. At the very least, every team interested in certain free agents has to lay the groundwork before July 1 to make sure they're in the mix. And to be fair, usually it's agents reaching out to teams, feeling them out. Agents leave the draft combine in Buffalo every year feeling a lot clearer about what the market will look like for their clients, and it was no different this year. But perhaps teams and agents are being a little more careful this year in how far their conversations are going ahead of July 1. As one agent said this week, maybe don't ratify your agreement in the first five minutes after the market opens, right? What's the rush? (I still don't understand why the NHL and NHL Players' Association did away with the UFA speaking period, which was legalized tampering in the day leading up to free agency, when extending the CBA in July 2020. It's the NHLPA that wanted it gone.) Advertisement Whatever the case, it doesn't sound as though the No. 1 free agent on the board will be a 12:01 p.m. Eastern signing, for starters. 'As per the rules, we are only permitted to speak with teams beginning July 1,' Darren Ferris, Mitch Marner's agent, said Wednesday. 'At that time, prospective teams will have the opportunity to speak with Mitch directly. Following those conversations, Mitch will make an informed and thoughtful decision.' That doesn't sound like a first-hour signing. What Ferris didn't say exactly, is when that decision would be made. My TSN colleague Darren Dreger reported on a SportsCentre hit during the Stanley Cup Final that after soliciting interest from teams on July 1, Ferris and Marner would whittle the list to the clubs he and his family want to visit 'before making a decision by July 15.' Teams aren't convinced that's how it's going to go down, but I get why Ferris may want that out there ahead of time. It takes the pressure off the situation just in case a Marner signing doesn't happen on July 1. And if Marner really does feel the need to visit teams and cities, well, that will indeed delay things. Remember that prized free-agent defenseman Alex Pietrangelo did visit Vegas before signing with the Golden Knights on Oct. 12, 2020, three days after the market opened. And of course, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter made their splashy signings in Minnesota on July 4, 2012, also three days after the market opened. There are other examples as well. Heck, Nazem Kadri didn't sign until Aug. 18 when he was UFA in 2022 (the market opened July 13 that year), although there were other factors at play there with the Flames at the time needing to make more moves ahead of the signing, most notably moving Sean Monahan to Montreal that same day to make the cap math work. Kadri still signed a very nice contract given that it was the flat-cap environment, seven years and $49 million. So waiting didn't hurt him. Advertisement Kadri's agent, by the way? Ferris. Which is maybe just a coincidence, but at the very least, it tells you if Marner's situation isn't settled by the end of Tuesday, it's all part of the process for Ferris. Here are rumblings from elsewhere around the NHL: The Ottawa Senators had more talks Wednesday with Pat Brisson, the agent for pending UFA forward Claude Giroux. It's been a grind of a negotiation, by all accounts, on a one-year deal. I don't sense Wednesday's conversation produced the breakthrough the sides had hoped for, but the plan is to keep at it. I get that some Vancouver Canucks fans weren't thrilled that the team had to give up an asset to get Evander Kane from the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday and take on his full $5.125 million cap hit on the remaining year of his contract, helping a rival with their cap issues. But Kane's agent, Dan Milstein, said there was interest from two other teams, so there was competition and interest there. Milstein said Kane's preference was to go to his native Vancouver and credited the Oilers for making that happen. The two other teams were in the Eastern Conference. I actually think a healthy Kane might have a decent year for the Canucks next season in a good role. Speaking of the Oilers, they still need to move more money. It's not just that Evan Bouchard is in line for a huge raise on his expiring $3.9 million cap hit. Remember: Leon Draisaitl is going from $8.5 million to $14 million on the cap next season, too — plus the Oilers putting the finishing touches on Trent Frederic's extension. Next up, the Oilers are looking to trade Viktor Arvidsson and his remaining $4 million cap hit for next season. Arvidsson has a full no-move clause, but that shouldn't be an issue. He met with Oilers management after the season, and both sides agreed that a change could be beneficial for all involved. The agent and team are working together to find him a new home. The Oilers have had several inquiries already. I would expect a trade within the next two to three weeks. And then, well, the Oilers have to find replacement players for Kane and Arvidsson — cheaper guys who can contribute. Not easy to hit that right. Finally on Kane, Daly told The Athletic on Wednesday evening that there is 'no change' as far as the league's investigation into the Oilers and potential long-term-injured-reserve circumvention with Kane this season. The league put the Oilers on notice a while ago, but whether things proceed to the next level on that front, Daly said, remains to be seen. Advertisement Stop me if you've read this before (guilty as charged), but this might finally be the summer that John Gibson gets moved. It's my understanding that several teams have inquired of late on Gibson, 31, who had a better season after a few injury-plagued ones and whose contract is down to two years left on it at a $6.4 million cap hit. It's not a surprise that teams are calling as the UFA crop after Jake Allen isn't very sexy. Gibson has a modified no-trade but is very open to a move. So Ducks GM Pat Verbeek and veteran agent Kurt Overhardt are working together on it. There's a sense that it's finally going to happen, but I will also add that Verbeek isn't overly interested in retaining salary on the trade unless he's incentivized to do so. He would take a contract back in a deal, though. And that contract could be another goalie. Again, I know we've all heard this before, but it feels more real than ever. Just don't hold me to it! Talks continue between the Stars and agent Bayne Pettinger on a new deal for pending UFA captain Jamie Benn, who turns 36 on July 18. The sides are focused on a 35-plus-type one-year deal. July 1 is right around the corner, but there seems to be no concern that it won't get done. Benn doesn't want to go anywhere. (Top photo of Mitch Marner: Claus Andersen / Getty Images)
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
How to watch the 2025 NHL Draft, as a new generation of skaters find their homes
The Florida Panthers just lifted a second consecutive Stanley Cup, but the hockey world quickly recalibrates in Los Angeles, where the NHL's future stars begin as 2025 draftees. The New York Islanders are on the clock, after winning the lottery for the first pick. New York is expected to take Matthew Schaefer, a 17-year-old prodigal defenseman from Ontario. Advertisement Both days can also be viewed on ESPN+. The San Jose Sharks have pick No. 2, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks and then Utah (oh, that's right, the Utah Mammoth has arrived). It's a particularly strong draft class for the center position, headlined by talents such as Caleb Desnoyers, Anton Frondell, James Hagens and Michael Misa. Trade action is already underway. The New York Rangers sent pick No. 12 to the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of the J.T. Miller deal from earlier this season. The Philadelphia Flyers took a flier on Trevor Zegras, the ninth selection in 2019's entry draft. In exchange, the Anaheim Ducks landed Ryan Poehling, pick No. 45 this year and a 2026 fourth-rounder. And up in Canada, the Edmonton Oilers traded Evander Kane to his hometown Vancouver Canucks; they fetched a Saturday fourth-round pick to get off the veteran winger's contract. 1. New York Islanders 2. San Jose Sharks 3. Chicago Blackhawks 4. Utah Mammoth 5. Nashville Predators 6. Philadelphia Flyers 7. Boston Bruins 8. Seattle Kraken 9. Buffalo Sabres 10. Anaheim Ducks The full draft order can be found here. Corey Pronman projects all 224 picks Scott Wheeler has comparisons for the top prospects The biggest question facing each team Our staff's hot takes, over ice Player poll with 50 draft hopefuls Streaming and ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Matthew Schaefer: Dennis Pajot / Getty Images)
