The Buffalo Sabres 4-3 overtime loss to Montreal on Monday was their third in a row, but for a club in last place and 12 points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot, another defeat serves only as another step towards a 14th straight season outside of the playoffs.
The most consequential event remaining for the Sabres this season is the NHL trade deadline this Friday, with the possibility of the club swapping out players with expiring contracts for assets. The fate of wingers Jason Zucker and Jordan Greenway are uncertain since Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said last month that he would like to sign them to contract extensions, but the writing may be on the wall for pending UFA defenseman Henri Jokiharju. The 25-year-old has been in and out of the lineup all season, but after a good showing for Finland at last month’s NHL 4 Nations Face-Off and scoring goals in consecutive games for the Sabres after returning, the right-handed Finn has been a healthy scratch the last two games.
Although the return for Jokiharju may not be large, factors outside of Buffalo could help the Sabres get a better-than-expected return. The pool of right-handed blueliners may not be as large as once thought.
The trade of Seth Jones to Florida took one possible option for teams off the board, but the close races in the East and West may prevent Montreal from dealing rental David Savard, Boston from moving Brandon Carlo, and St. Louis from entertaining offers on Colton Parayko and look towards Jokiharju as a potential fallback option. Adams could also increase his return if the Sabres offered to retain a portion of his $3 million salary.
While a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated that Buffalo was working on an extension for Greenway, there has not any news on progress on a new deal with Zucker, who has 44 points (18 goals, 26 assists) in 54 games, played less than 13 minutes in a 3-2 win over Anaheim on February 25 and has missed the last three games with a foot injury.
It is possible that Zucker is being held out because of more than just the injury. He may also be held out to protect him before Friday’s deadline in case the Sabres receive an offer they cannot refuse.
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SEAHAWKS QB GENO SMITH HEADED TO LAS VEGAS
Sabres Shopping Key Defenseman
The Buffalo Sabres are sitting dead last in the Eastern Conference and could be opening the phone lines ahead of the trade deadline. With a few key faces possibly on the block in Buffalo, a new report from the Fourth Period is saying the Sabres are looking to trade defenseman Henri Jokiharju.
According to David Pagnotta, the Sabres are listening to their options with Jokiharju as he plays in the final year of his contract. Set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, Jokiharju makes $3.1 million against the salary cap.
Pagnotta notes that Jokiharju would be open to a change of scenery, specifically with a team contending for the Stanley Cup.
“Citing separate sources, Pagnotta noted during The Hot Stove on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio on Saturday, prior to the Stadium Series game between Columbus and Detroit,” the Fourth Period writes. “That Jokiharju would welcome a change of scenery and join a contender for a playoff run.”
The Sabres scratched Jokiharju from the lineup in their recent meeting with the Montreal Canadiens, but it was not revealed if that was for trade-related reasons.
Scratches or Jokiharju aren’t new, though, as he’s only played in 42 games this season with three goals and three assists for six total points.
As a former first-round pick (29th overall) with the Chicago Blackhawks, Jokiharju has spent most of his NHL career in Buffalo. After 38 games in 2018-19 with the Blackhawks, Jokiharju was moved to the Sabres.
In 389 career games, Jokiharju has picked up 19 goals and 74 assists for 93 total points.
The Sabres have a few names on the trade block with the deadline looming and Jokiharju is a likely asset on the move. Dylan Cozens and Bowen Byram are just a couple of the big names on trade boards out of Buffalo.
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Nick Horwat | Mar 2, 2025
Sabres Made Unusual Roster Move Before Canadiens Game, Hinting at a Big Trade Incoming
Last night, before facing the Montreal Canadiens, as reported by TVA Sports, the Buffalo Sabres made an unusual announcement involving two players.
This is clearly related to upcoming transactions.
See the relevant excerpt:
This is quite unusual, considering both players are having good seasons.’
TVA Sports
This could indeed set the stage for a major trade involving the Sabres.
Let’s talk about the Montreal Canadiens.
As for Jason Zucker, who is ultimately dealing with an issue, I don’t think he’s an option, but there are still two Sabres players who might interest Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton.
First, there is undoubtedly center Dylan Cozens, whose name has frequently been linked to the Canadiens in trade rumors over the past few weeks.
And then, why not add Jokiharju, who is a young and effective right-handed defenseman?
Could last night’s opponents be interesting trade partners?
Cozens, 24 years old, is a big 6-foot-3, 207-pound center who has 30 points in 58 games this season, including 11 goals. He also has previous NHL seasons of 68 points and 47 points under his belt.
Jokiharju, 25 years old, is a 6-foot, 200-pound right-handed defenseman with 6 points in 42 games this season, including 3 goals.
This article first appeared on Habs Fanatics and was syndicated with permission.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially made a shocking move involving Ryan Reaves just a day before the NHL trade deadline. In breaking news, insider Elliotte Friedman confirmed that five players were placed on the NHL waiver wire, and three others were claimed. Notably, the Toronto Maple Leafs made the decision to put Ryan Reaves on waivers. Reaves joined Tyler Pitlick, Riley Stillman, Evan Cormier and Cameron Hebig on the list of players up for grabs. In addition, three players changed teams: Jordan Oesterle left the Boston Bruins for the Nashville Predators, who also claimed Jakub Vrana from the Washington Capitals, while the Columbus Blue Jackets grabbed Christian Fischer from the Detroit Red Wings. Let’s not forget that any player on an NHL roster when the deadline passes will be ineligible to play in the AHL for the rest of the season and during the playoffs. This means players who had to clear waivers before joining the AHL had to be sent down Thursday. In the Leafs’ case, they are likely planning to bring him back to the NHL for the playoffs. General manager Brad Treliving likely considered that his $1,350,000 AAV contract, which expires at the end of next season, would discourage teams from claiming him. Reaves, 28, has played 35 games this season with the Maple Leafs, recording just two assists. He has averaged 7:48 of ice time per game and holds a -2 rating. It will be interesting to see how the Toronto Maple Leafs use the extra cap space. If he clears waivers, the Leafs will free up $1.15 million, but if he is claimed, they will gain $1.35 million in cap relief. In a recent report, Elliotte Friedman linked Brock Nelson, Brayden Schenn and Mikko Rantanen to the Leafs.
Over a month after Luka Doncic was traded, Dallas Mavericks fans are still upset. But there is still one person they have not heard from on the whole situation — Mark Cuban. Until Thursday night, the team’s former owner had not given his whole thoughts on Doncic heading West to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. Turns out, Cuban shares an opinion a lot of fans have voiced on social media. Trading Doncic away is “one thing” but Cuban says a significantly better package should have come back to Dallas. He believes if Mavericks GM Nico Harrison found a way to make the deal more favorable, the outrage might not be as loud. “If the Mavs are going to trade Luka, that’s one thing,” Cuban said. “Just get a better deal. No disrespect to Anthony Davis but I still firmly believe if we had gotten four unprotected No. 1s, Anthony Davis, and Max Christie, this would be a different conversation.” Doncic has recently begun to find his footing in Los Angeles. Tuesday night against New Orleans, he recorded a 30-point and 15-assist double-double while adding eight rebounds. His short time with the Lakers has resulted in an average of 22 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists while the team has won seven consecutive games. Meanwhile in Dallas, everything that could go wrong has. Davis only played three quarters in his Mavericks debut before getting hurt and has yet to return to action. But with Kyrie Irving now out for the season due to a torn ACL, people are wondering if Davis will come back at all. Through it all, not much communication has come from the Mavericks front office. Specifically Harrison, the one who plotted and eventually executed the trade. In Cuban’s opinion, that’s been the biggest mistake of the whole process. “You’re going to make mistakes,” Cuban said. “I think the biggest challenge that the Mavs have right now is there’s nobody who’s really outgoing to communicate. It’s not so much what you do, it’s how you communicate why you do what you do.” Cuban was asked if he would ever trade Doncic, given his past loyalty to Dirk Nowitzki. He did not want to comment, saying “I’m not going to go there. It doesn’t even matter” before referencing an old trade he made, sending Steve Nash to the Phoenix Suns. Doncic will continue to be supported by Cuban, still having a relationship with the player and his family. You have to imagine April 9 at the American Airlines Center will be weird for everyone involved when Doncic returns to Dallas for the first time.
We had a major trade in the last few hours, announced by the Colorado Avalanche. They acquired a new second-line center, Brock Nelson, in a trade involving multiple pieces. ‘The Avs acquire Brock Nelson and William Dufour from the New York Islanders in exchange for Kylington, Calum Ritchie, a 1st-round pick in 2026 or 2027, and a conditional 3rd-round pick in 2028.’ In short, this trade seems interesting for Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens. Brock Nelson’s acquisition pushes Casey Mittelstadt out in Colorado: an opportunity for Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens? That’s the current speculation: ‘His name has been circulating a lot in trade rumors in recent weeks, and considering that the Avalanche acquired Brock Nelson last night, Casey Mittelstadt is clearly available in Colorado. If I were Kent Hughes, I would definitely call the Avalanche to inquire about the asking price.’ Marc-Olivier Beaudoin A major storyline to follow today in Montreal. Casey Mittelstadt, 26 years old, is a 6-foot-1, 195-pound center. The 8th overall pick by the Buffalo Sabres in 2017 (1st round) has accumulated 230 points in 420 career NHL games, including 77 goals, and has recorded 34 points in 63 games so far this season with the Colorado Avalanche as their second-line center. Nelson’s acquisition has clearly cost him his spot. Mittelstadt also registered 47 points in 62 games and 59 points in 82 games with the Buffalo Sabres over the last two seasons.
The NHL’s 2024-25 trade deadline was on Friday at 3 p.m. ET, and some big names, like Mikko Rantanen and Brad Marchand, changed teams to significantly alter the balance of power in the NHL. Let’s examine the winners and losers from Friday’s moves. Winners Sellers: This deadline season was a big-time sellers’ market, with rental players going for significant prices. Seattle got two first-round picks for Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde, Pittsburgh got second-round picks for Anthony Beauvillier and Luke Schenn and the New York Islanders managed to get a top prospect (Calum Ritchie) and a first-round pick for pending UFA Brock Nelson. It paid to be bad this season and have players to move. Dallas Stars: After getting Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci from San Jose on Feb. 1, it looked like that might be Dallas’s one big move. It was not. On Friday, they snuck in and snagged Rantanen from Carolina, signing him to an eight-year contract extension to keep him from hitting free agency. Dallas already had one of the best teams in the league, and now it is adding a top-10 offensive player. This is a Stanley Cup-worthy roster. Pittsburgh’s rebuild: With Friday’s series of trades (Beauvillier to Washington, Cody Glass to New Jersey and Luke Schenn to Winnipeg), combined with their earlier trades this season, the Penguins now have more draft picks (31) over the next three years than any other team in the league. They also have some significant salary cap space to work with. That is a lot of resources they can utilize in many different ways. Florida Panthers: The defending Stanley Cup champions made two massive deals in the week leading up to the deadline, landing defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks and then shocking everybody by acquiring Marchand from the Boston Bruins. The Marchand deal is the real needle-mover because he is still a top-line player and helps make the Panthers one of the league’s most physical — and hated — teams. Facing them in the playoffs will be a chore. Losers Carolina’s reputation: A few weeks ago, Getting Rantanen from Colorado looked like a home run trade that would give them a chance to win the Stanley Cup this season. Then they couldn’t get him signed, and instead of using him for one run at the Cup, they traded him to Dallas for Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks and two third-round picks. In a vacuum, in terms of long-term assets, Carolina is probably further ahead now than it was at the start of the season. But that is not the problem. The problem is that another top-tier player did not want to re-sign with them. It happened last summer with Jake Guentzel, and it happened again here. Their chances for a Stanley Cup are not as good as they looked a few weeks ago. Steve Yzerman’s plan in Detroit: It’s getting harder and harder to understand the approach here. Detroit did nothing to help its cause in terms of making the playoffs this season by not addressing any of its pressing needs. Even worse, it added another bad goalie contract in Petr Mrazek in a trade with Chicago. They are outside the playoff picture and could miss for the ninth consecutive season and sixth under Yzerman. Edmonton Oilers goaltending: Edmonton made a strong trade to upgrade its defense by getting Jake Walman from the San Jose Sharks. That is the good news. The bad news is that the Oilers did nothing to address their problematic goaltending situation, so they risk going into the playoffs with a major Achilles heel at the one position that could dramatically change a series or a season. Los Angeles Kings offense: The Kings are on their way to the playoffs for the fourth year in a row but are coming off three straight first-round exits. A fourth consecutive early exit would be wildly disappointing, especially if it comes at the hands of the Oilers again. The Kings’ biggest weakness is still their lack of offensive impact scorers. The only move they made ahead of the deadline was to acquire Andrei Kuzmenko from the Philadelphia Flyers. However, that will not be enough to compete with the top teams in the Western Conference.
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