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JJ Peterka

Atlantic Notes: Peterka, Woodcroft, Panthers

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In his new trade board entering the offseason, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff opines that Buffalo Sabres forward JJ Peterka is the top trade target. Peterka tied for second in scoring among Sabres players this season and will become a restricted free agent on July 1st.

Seravalli writes that several teams put together offers at the trade deadline for Peterka, but Buffalo General Manager Kevyn Adams had no interest in trading him. Despite Seravalli’s claim that a ’change of scenery’ is in order, it’s difficult to imagine the Sabres moving on from one of their top forwards this summer.

Still, Peterka has come into his own over the last two years, scoring 55 goals and 118 points in 159 games, with 93 of those points coming at even strength. It is reasonable to assume that Buffalo would receive a generous offer for Peterka, but he seems like a player the team should want to keep around for the long term. According to PuckPedia, the Sabres will have more than $23MM entering the offseason, giving them plenty of flexibility to seek a long-term contract with Peterka.

Other notes from the Atlantic Division:

  • Despite Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love and Ontario Reign head coach Marco Sturm being labelled as the finalists for the Boston Bruins head coaching vacancy, Jimmy Murphy of RG has heard otherwise. Murphy posited that the Bruins have already begun ’talking money’ with coaching candidate Jay Woodcroft, but admits that Love and Sturm are still in the mix. There have not been other specific indications that the Bruins are negotiating a deal with Woodcroft, as the situation regarding the Bruins’ head coaching remains very uncertain.
  • In a humorous and candid quote, Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice describes the contrast between his team’s behaviour on the ice and off the ice. Giving most of the credit to captain Aleksander Barkov, Michael Russo of The Athletic writes about the Panthers’ tenacity, and sometimes dirty play during games, and their stout humility and respect in between puck drops. Recognizing this, Russo quoted Maurice, saying, “Have you ever shotgunned a beer? Have you ever been to church? Would you shotgun a beer in church? That doesn’t make you a hypocrite. There’s a context and a place for all things.“

Sabres Notes: Byram, Power, Norris, Peterka

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The Sabres have two expensive defensemen signed to long-term deals in Rasmus Dahlin ($11MM through 2031-32) and Owen Power ($8.35MM through 2030-31).  As a result, pending RFA blueliner Bowen Byram’s future with the team has been the subject of some speculation.  Speaking with reporters today including Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News (Twitter link), the 23-year-old indicates that he absolutely sees a long-term fit with Buffalo.  Byram’s owed a $4.62MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights but projects to receive considerably more than that on the heels of a career year that saw him collect 38 points in 82 games while averaging a little under 23 minutes a night of playing time.

More from Buffalo:

  • Power went and got a second opinion on his ankle injury and now will not require surgery, notes Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. He sustained the injury last weekend and will now need around two months to fully recover.  The 22-year-old had a career-best seven goals and 40 points in 79 games this season while dealing with a small dip in playing time; his 21:19 ATOI was the lowest of his young career.
  • The injury that Sabres center Josh Norris was dealing with was a torn oblique muscle, Lysowski relays. It’s the same injury he had earlier this year with Ottawa and the decision was made that it was best for him to sit and allow it to fully heal, something that hasn’t happened quite yet.  The 25-year-old was acquired at the trade deadline as part of the Dylan Cozens swap and finished his year with 21 goals and 15 assists in 56 games, just the second time he has reached the 20-goal mark.
  • Winger JJ Peterka won’t play for Germany next month at the World Championship due to his status as a pending restricted free agent, relays NHL.com’s Heather Engel (Twitter link). The 23-year-old set new career highs in assists (41) and points (68), finishing tied for second in team scoring with Rasmus Dahlin.  Given the uptick in production, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the two sides try to work out a long-term contract this summer, one that Peterka doesn’t want to potentially jeopardize by running the risk of suffering an injury at the Worlds.

East Notes: Hurricanes, Penguins, Sabres

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The Hurricanes have taken some big swings on the trade front the last couple of years, landing Jake Guentzel at the 2023 trade deadline and Mikko Rantanen earlier this season.  But they weren’t able to sign either one with Rantanen subsequently being flipped.  Despite not being able to sign either one, GM Eric Tulsky indicated in an interview with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription link) that he is more than willing to take another big swing on a prominent pending UFA should the opportunity present itself down the road, even without an extension in place.  Tulsky believes that the team is usually able to keep the players that they want to and more often than not, the interest is mutual so in his mind, the odds should be good that they can get something done whenever they make a move to add another key rental in the future.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette provided updates on a few injured Penguins. Defensemen Pierre-Oliver Joseph (upper body) and Ryan Shea (upper body) both skated before practice today while center Thomas Novak (lower body) has yet to hit the ice after being injured last week.  Joseph was injured at the beginning of the month and quickly landed on IR while Shea was injured last week.  Both blueliners have week-to-week designations while a timeline for Novak’s return remains uncertain.
  • While the Sabres didn’t have JJ Peterka back in the lineup tonight against Boston, he’s on track to return on Thursday versus Utah, reports Lance Lysowski of The Athletic (Twitter link). Peterka has been one of Buffalo’s top scorers all season with 51 points in 61 games and while a playoff chase isn’t going to happen, the 23-year-old is a pending restricted free agent and will undoubtedly be hoping for a strong finish heading into contract talks.  Meanwhile, Lysowski added that blueliner Jacob Bernard-Docker should make his Buffalo debut at some point on their four-game road trip.  He was acquired at the trade deadline but only recently received his work visa to start skating with the team so he’ll need a few practices to get up to speed first.

Atlantic Notes: Kulich, Peterka, Norris, Jokiharju

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Sabres forward Jiri Kulich has been placed in concussion protocol, head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters today (video link).  He left yesterday’s game against Vegas early after taking a hit.  However, there’s some hope that it won’t be a long-term injury for the 20-year-old as Ruff wouldn’t rule out the possibility that Kulich could join the team at some point on their upcoming road trip.  Kulich has done pretty well in his rookie NHL season, tallying 12 goals and seven assists through 49 games while logging a respectable 14:23 per night of ice time.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Ruff’s presser also provided updates on two other injured Sabres. JJ Peterka skated before practice today and accompanied the team on the trip; Ruff wouldn’t rule out the winger returning to the lineup on Monday.  Peterka has missed the last two games due to a nagging injury, resulting in him slipping to third on the team in scoring with 51 points in 61 games.  Meanwhile, recently acquired center Josh Norris had treatment today on his undisclosed injury and was expected to accompany the team on their road trip but he’s not believed to be as close to returning as Peterka.  Norris has a goal and an assist in his first three outings in a Buffalo uniform.
  • Things have gone relatively well for new Bruins defenseman Henri Jokiharju. After playing time was quite hard to come by in Buffalo, the 25-year-old is logging over 20 minutes a night through his first four outings with Boston.  Accordingly, he told reporters including Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald that he’s open to starting discussions on a contract extension already.  Jokiharju has a $3.1MM cap charge this season and will be slated to reach unrestricted free agency for the first time in July.  But with just seven points in 46 games this season and his limited role before the trade, it seems unlikely that he’ll be able to command a similar price tag this summer.

Sabres Notes: Kozak, Peterka, Norris, Bernard-Docker, Tullio

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Friday morning’s practice brought a wave of roster moves, injury updates, and lineup implications for the Buffalo Sabres. Most notably, the team has recalled depth winger Tyson Kozak from the minor leagues. Kozak has been back and forth between the minor leagues since the start of December, with his most recent call-up coming to an end on January 31st. He’s recorded two points, 11 penalty minutes, and 10 shots on net in seven games since returning to the minors.

Kozak received the first NHL recall of his career on December 5th. He didn’t manage any notable stat changes in his NHL debut, but did score his first NHL goal in his second career game. Buffalo rewarded Kozak with one more game, but returned him to the minors immediately after. He stayed buried through the start of the new year, before being called back up on January 9th for another eight NHL appearances. Kozak didn’t pot any scoring in those games – giving him just one goal in 11 NHL games on the season – though he did see his ice time climb from 7:23 at its lowest to 16:06 at its highest over the extent of the call-up. Another recall will give Kozak a chance to continue carving out a role in the Sabres lineup, while hopefully padding his scoring stats along the way. He has eight goals and 14 points in 31 AHL games this season.

Buffalo should have plenty of room to insert Kozak into the lineup, after top forwards JJ Peterka and Joshua Norris both missed Friday’s practice, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. Peterka missed Buffalo’s Wednesday matchup against the Detroit Red Wings due to a day-to-day, lower-body injury. He is expected to also miss Saturday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, but will travel with the team on their four-game road trip next week. Peterka has been one of Buffalo’s hottest players over the recent stretch, with a team-leading 10 points in his last nine games. He’s up to a career-high 51 points in 61 games this season.

Norris’ injury remains undisclosed. Head coach Lindy Ruff told Lysowski that Norris has been dealing with the injury for a little bit, and that he’s currently being evaluated by the Sabres’ medical staff. Norris has appeared in three games with Buffalo since joining the team at March 7th’s Trade Deadline. He has two points, split evenly, and 10 penalty minutes in those appearances. News of an injury will force Sabres fans to hold their breath thanks to Norris’ extensive injury history. He hasn’t played more than 66 games in a single season since his pro career began in 2019-20. He’s been impaired by shoulder injuries in every season since 2022. Those injuries have limited Norris in multiple seasons, including holding him out of all but eight games of the 2022-23 campaign. With that in mind, there has been no indication that Norris’ current, undisclosed injury is connected to his previous shoulder troubles.

While Norris was unavailable on Friday, the skate did mark fellow trade acquisition Jacob Bernard-Docker’s first practice with the Sabres. Bernard-Docker was held off the ice for the last week while he tried to secure a work visa that would make him eligible to move from a Canadian team to an American team. He’s spent the season as the extra defender for the Ottawa Senators. He tallied four points in 25 games in the role. This season marks Bernard-Docker’s first full pro season with, so far, no AHL appearances – after bouncing between the major and minor rosters over the last three years. He’s totaled 20 points in 129 NHL Games, and 15 points in 101 AHL games over the course of his short career. The Sabres will likely utilize Bernard-Docker in the same depth role, though he could carve out a roster spot after fellow right-handed defenseman Henri Jokiharju was traded to the Boston Bruins.

In the final move of a busy day in Buffalo, the Sabres’ AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, also loaned middle-six winger Tyler Tullio to the Calgary Wranglers. Tullio – acquired in the trade that shipped Ryan McLeod to Buffalo and Matthew Savoie to Edmonton – hasn’t yet found his groove in the Americans lineup. He has just one goal, seven points, and 30 penalty minutes in 30 games played – far below the 21 points he scored in 54 games last year. With no sign of lineup progress in place, he’ll get a chance to carve out a role on a new minor-league squad. Tullio recorded 47 points in 117 games with the Bakersfield Condors over the last two seasons.

Snapshots: Peterka, Kulich, Hintz, Werenski

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The Buffalo Sabres will exchange young forwards in Wednesday night’s lineup. Centerman Jiri Kulich is expected to return to the ice after missing Buffalo’s last game with an illness, while top-line winger JJ Peterka is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.

Adding Kulich back to the fold is a positive step for the Sabres. The 20-year-old centerman has recorded two points and eight shots on net in his last four games, bringing his year-long totals up to 12 goals and 19 points in 48 games. Kulich has taken on more-and-more role in the second half of the season, and appeared in a season-high 19 minutes of ice time in his most recent appearance. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff made no indication of what line Kulich would play on in his return, but he could be set to head back to the top-six with Buffalo down one of their top players.

To that end, losing Peterka for even a short time is a hard blow for the Sabres. He’s confidently led the team over their latest stretch, with 10 points in nine games since returning from the 4-Nations Face-Off break. Peterka is quickly evolving into a star – with 19 goals and 51 points in 61 games this season putting him on a year-long pace of 26 goals and 69 points in 82 games. He’s already lapped his career-high of 50 points scored last season, with no signs of slowing down. Peterka’s absence should lead to increased minutes for wingers like Jason Zucker and Zach Benson – though Buffalo could also opt to move Ryan McLeod or Peyton Krebs to the wing with Kulich back in the fold.

Other quick notes from around the league:

  • Top Dallas Stars centerman Roope Hintz is progressing well after taking an Adam Henrique shot to the face on Saturday. Hintz sat out of Dallas’ Sunday win over the Vancouver Canucks and is set to miss Friday’s game against Winnipeg – but head coach Pete DeBoer shared that Hintz could return as soon as Sunday, per NHL.com’s Mike Heika. Hintz has been red-hot since the end of the 4-Nations break, with 16 points in his last eight games. That includes back-to-back four-point games on February 28th and March 2nd. Dallas managed a confident win over Vancouver in his absence, but will undoubtedly be eager to bring their second-line centerman back before his scoring touch cools off. With Hintz out, Dallas has awarded more minutes to Jamie Benn, Wyatt Johnston, and Matt Duchene.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski has become the Norris Trophy favorite in NHL.com’s recent poll of their staff writers. Werenski has been lights out this season after being held to just 83 games combined over the last two years. Now back to full health, he has a team-leading 69 points in 63 games on the year. That includes 20 goals, making Werenski the first 20-goal-scoring defenseman in Blue Jackets history. His 2024-25 campaign marked the most goals from a Blue Jackets defenseman in February, when he passed Seth Jones’ previous record of 16 goals set int he 2017-18 season. Werenski’s 69 points are also a club record. He has shown everything Columbus could ask for and then some. His performances are a key reason why Columbus is one of five teams in the race for the Eastern Conference Wild Cards, and could soon earn Werenski the first Norris Trophy of his nine-year NHL career. He previously received Norris votes in 2019-20 (eighth-place finish) and in his rookie season of 2016-17 (18th-place finish).

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