The Buffalo Sabres are reportedly close to finalizing a deal that would send winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for forward prospect Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. It’s been further announced that Peterka has agreed to a five-year, $38.5MM extension with the Mammoth, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The Mammoth later confirmed the trade and signing. It’s a late-night blockbuster, and a rare three-player swap with no additions.
Utah has now completed the franchise’s biggest trade under its new moniker. In Peterka, the Mammoth have acquired a consistent goal-scorer they can plug into their top six without having to part with too many quality assets. Kesselring and Doan filled important needs for the team last season, but they didn’t replicate what Peterka can bring to their offense.
The German-born winger was selected by the Sabres as the 34th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, coming from EHC München in the DEL. A year later, after scoring nine goals and 20 points in 30 DEL contests and 10 points in only five World Junior Championship games, the Sabres knew that it wouldn’t be long before Peterka debuted in North America.
He did just that the following season. Primarily playing for the team’s AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, Peterka gave an impressive rookie performance, scoring 28 goals and 68 points in 70 games. Despite being named to the All-Rookie Team and finishing 10th in AHL scoring, Peterka lost out on the Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award as the league’s most outstanding rookie to teammate Jack Quinn. 
Despite playing in two games during the 2021-22 campaign, Peterka made the full transition to NHL hockey in 2022-23 and never looked back. Being a capable tertiary scorer during the 2022-23 campaign with limited ice time, Peterka became a full-fledged top-six winger the last two seasons, scoring 55 goals and 118 points in 159 games played.
Peterka has some defensive shortcomings to work on, which is to be expected of any young winger. Still, he brings a wealth of offensive capabilities and possession quality to plug into a similarly styled offense in Salt Lake City. Peterka will join the likes of Logan Cooley, Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Dylan Guenther, and Barrett Hayton and the Mammoth’s top-six, with every player falling under the age of 30.
Meanwhile, Buffalo adds a young, right-handed defenseman whom they’ve been coveting for some time. The team was oversaturated on the left side last season, with all four of the team’s highest-paid blue liners shooting from the left. Even at 25 years old, Kesselring has already proven to be a capable puck-moving defenseman who can hold his own in the defensive zone.
It’s hard to imagine the Mammoth thought Kesselring would become the player he is. The Arizona Coyotes acquired Kesselring from the Edmonton Oilers in 2023 as part of the Nick Bjugstad trade, whom they later re-signed the following offseason. They quickly assigned him to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners.
Since then, Kesselring has scored 12 goals and 50 points in 147 NHL contests, jumping into a top-four role with the formerly named Utah Hockey Club last season. The scoring totals may not stand out, but his possession and defensive metrics are impressive. He finished the 2024-25 campaign with a 53.7% CorsiFor% at even strength, and a on-ice save percentage of 92.2%. His positive possession quality should help the Sabres dramatically, as they finished the 2024-25 campaign as the league’s 17th-best possession team.
Lastly, Doan, the son of former Coyotes icon Shane Doan, comes to the Sabres organization without having made his mark on the NHL level. The former 37th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft has been a productive AHL scorer since his draft year, accumulating 40 goals and 78 points in 104 games.
Still, that talent hasn’t yet translated to the NHL level, and much of that can be explained by a lack of ice time. Doan finished the 2024-25 campaign with seven goals and 21 points in 51 games, averaging 13:31 seconds of ice time in a third-line role. Unfortunately, given the talent that the Sabres have on the wing in their top-six, Doan is likely destined for the same role in New York.
PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article.
Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.
Dang, that’s a great deal for Utah.
Congrats to Utah, but is that seriously the best offer any team offered for JJP? I really doubt it.
Utah gave up 2 afterthoughts for a bona fide star. Kesserling is solid and Doan has potential but wow, what an underpay.
RHD are in demand everywhere. Buffalo filled needs and players that also fit what the HC is looking for. Kesselring is also physical. Adams is now addressing roster needs. A+ for Buffalo.
People don’t realize how good Kesselring actually is
I guess that is the fault in my logic I just don’t know enough about Kesserling. If he is a legit top pair RHD, then fair trade. if he is borderline #4 or #6 D man then I think UT got a steal.
So you think with no knowledge that they turned down a better offer? Why? Just because that’s who you are?
Why the need to insult the person. Never understand why so many people feel the need to add a personal insult in a comment when they disagree with someone. Disagree with them? Fine. State your disagreement and offer your side of things and move on. No need to insult the person.
Afterthoughts? Buffalo got a fantastic big young RHD and a power forward prospect for a player who at least right now is a one-dimensional scorer, Buffalo does not need picks nor prospects, they need players that slot into the lineup right now, which is what they got. Put Doan on a line with McLeod and you’re creating matchup problems for the opponent.
How do you know what everyone thinks about him?
A+ for Utah
I feel sorry for Buffalo fans
Probably one of the worst run franchises in sports
Reminds me of the Pittsburgh Pirates…on ice…
Physical defensemen. Depth forward. Buffalo has freed up cap space.
Kesselring 6’5″
Greenway 6’4″
Tuch 6’3″
Good trade for Buffalo. Peterka was not very good defensively.
they could have potentially gotten a 1st, 2nd and 3rd though if he was offer sheeted. instead this is another Kevyn Adams trade to save my job now move that likely netted them negative value
Buffalo needs someone who can score and the sabres definitely could have gotten a lot more not to mention they aren’t going to be very good next year especially when they trade away 3/4 of there team cuz nobody wants to play there and can’t say I don’t blame them
They already have picks and guys in the pipeline, they need young NHL-ready talent, which is what they got.
Buffalo got taken to the cleaners.
Nope. This trade fills a need for Buffalo. Also…..
Quinn scored as many 2nd half goals as Peterka in the 2nd half
you can address your teams needs and still get equal value. While Buffalo filled a need it still feels like Utah got more value in this deal.
We will see in a few years,Peterka might stay just a scorer and not good defensively.The others could blossom and people will say i guess i was wrong.Peterka wanted out.Lowers your leverage if they know he is to be traded.My only thought is how are you basing this wasn’t equal value.Have you followed the guys they got in return’s careers.do you know something about them others do not.The Sabres have to make the playoffs this year.
He only wants people,who want to be on the team that breaks through.If they don’t so long.
Yeah I don’t buy the ‘he wants out so you have less leverage’ argument. A good young goal scorer on a reasonable contract has value whether he wants out or not. I guarantee you at least half the league checked on what it would take. That’s value no matter what so they have a great opportunity go get something good back. I am not saying they got taken, I’m not scout……just in my opinion at 1st look they didnt get equal value. Kesselring looks good, possibly could be a top 4 D-man which has value for sure, Doan feels like a fringe player to me. That just doesnt seem ‘to me’ that is equal value for a 23 yr old who has scored 27 and 28 goals the last 2 years who one can expect to improve as he enters his prime years. .
If you could pick one franchise in North America to fold it would be the Sabres
Adams is building out a deep young team. He is now addressing roster needs. Good trade Adams. Keep it going.
This trade might officially (finally) push Kevyn Adams into “the worst GM I’ve ever seen” status.
At the very least, he joins the reverse Mt. Rushmore with Milbury, Snow and Hextall.
I dont hate this return for Buffalo. They didn’t want futures and Kesselring in a top 4 RD that’s 25 years old on a 1.4 mil contract. That’s valuable. Doan is 6’2″ 200 middle 6 RW that plays a good 2 way game. Not sure they had better offers in a player for player swap.
Agree. While I can understand not wanting to move Peterka, they got two good players in return. Both popular players in Utah as well.
Totally agree OneTimer.
Both Peterka and Quinn were in Ruff’s doghouse because of their lack of consistent defensive play last season. Getting that physical RHD is a big win for Buffalo. If Doan is a good 2 way forward that will be well liked by Ruff. Buffalo needs to improve their goals differential for next season.
Is Shane Doan an ancillary part of this deal?
That’s a big win for Utah in getting a young star player in J.J. Peterka then to get an extension with him on top of that. They’re establishing themselves with a lot of solid young talent as Utah is on track to be a contending team next season.
Buffalo got a decent haul in Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring. They wanted a RD in the trade and got that in Kesselring while Doan is an extra asset with much potential down-the-line. Could have Buffalo gotten a better deal?…Hard to say but it is what it is at this point.
If there was any question about Utah denying they were ever the Coyotes, trading Doan settles it.
Two things can be true at once:
1) This is an A+ for the Mammoth. Slam dunk.
2) If the Sabres would’ve not traded Peterka and watched him sign an offer sheet instead, they would’ve got a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd (at this AAV). They stated they didn’t want the futures (they’ve blown a million of those already), they want ready-now pieces. So instead, they chose Doan and Kesselring: a solid prospect that could maybe even be a replacement for Peterka on the wing in a couple of years, and a 2nd-pairing RD that’s only 25 at a position they desperately needed help with. Given that neither player is fully established yet the way Peterka is (and given that it’s the Sabres), could definitely be a bust, but for now at least, it’s not quite as brutal as some will make it out to be.
(Then again, it’s the Sabres…)
From a article……
If you want to take something simple out of this to remember for the future, it’s that an average draft class produces about 60 NHL players (between 51 and 69), and about 40 of them (between 36 and 49) will go on to play a significant career in the NHL (at least 300 games played).
Nhl drafts you take BPA. Peterka was a 2nd round pick. They are assets. Tradable. Fill other needs. Adams made a good trade to fill team needs.
Buffalo is the jets of the NHL
No that is Winnipeg
New York Jets of the nhl
Buffalo seems to think it’s an AHL team – develop talent, lose them the second they’re ready to play on an NHL team. It’s absolutely brutal to watch.
Whether it’s the GM or the ownership group, the Sabres need someone in charge who’s actually invested in building a winning team. Buffalo’s a small-market team, I don’t expect a Cup… But making the playoffs would be cool.
Getting 2 solid nhl players for one is always a good thing. Though the trade could get ugly.
This is one of the worst trades I’ve ever seen. Sure Doan could develop into a decent scoring piece but he’s not “young” for a prospect. His numbers do not scream anything more than mid to bottom sixer at this point.Kesselring is a useful defenceman but he’s not one you trade a very young blossoming potential superstar. I mean peterka hits nearly a ppg and hasn’t hit his prime years. Yikes. Kesselring is at the point where he is what he is and Doan’s runway to prove he’s anything more than a bottom sixer is running out. At the same age peterka is flirting with ppg. Just robbery by the Mammoth.
Trade fills needs for Buffalo and neither player is getting paid top market rate. Upside in both.
There’s no more upside in Kesselring he is what he is. Also you don’t trade a star player to fill a need. Doan’s upside at this point looks limited to a bottom sixer. There is no world in which this isn’t a mugging for the mammoth.
Yea you do if it addresses other team needs. Peterka had 87 giveaways & got into Ruff’s doghouse because of his lack of 2 way play. Players that can replace Peterka’s goals…….
Quinn
Benson
Kulich
Norris
Nope you don’t. Quinn hasn’t shown all that much at the nhl level. Benson shows lots of promise and upside but you trade him for Kesselring and doan not an already established star. Kulich projects to a a good 3c and Norris has done nothing but gone downhill. All of those were better trade options. You don’t trade established stars for spare parts to fill a need you’ll never convince me that’s a good idea. Bad trade by a poorly run team.
Mammoth sounds so dumb. It should at least be Mammoths.
Tell that to the Seattle Kraken, the Colorado Avalanche, and the Minnesota Wild.
I’m waiting for NHL team names to get really esoteric and abstract.
Cincinnati Theory of Surplus Labour
Houston Idea of Eternal Returns
Hamilton Second Law of Thermodynamics
I always liked the dark comedy idea of team names that sound normal (ish) to people who don’t know much about news or history.
Oklahoma City Bombers, Boston Stranglers, etc.
Patriotes de Montreal
The Lakers moved to L.A. where there are no lakes.
The Jazz moved to Utah, where they don’t allow music
The plural of Kraken can still be Kraken, same with Wild. Same with Lightning. Avalanche could have an S but that doesnt make sense. Mammoth should be Mammoths.
I don’t know how Adam’s still is employed as the GM. I’m also a little sour it wasn’t Dobson being swapped for him.
Could be with Bo Byram and other assets going to NYI possibly. Just a possibility I’m throwing out there.
Wow Kesselring in my thoughts could be a 60 pt Dman.
Not to be a jerk as tone is impossible to determine through a computer but there is almost no chance of that happening. He’s a decent dman but his ceiling isn’t much higher than his numbers now. Maybe in an outlier season he hits 40-45 points. Maybe.
Blockbuster is the overstatement of the summer thus far.
We now know what trade’s Adam’s turned down for Peterka, He should absolutely be fired!