The NHL trade deadline can set teams up for a long playoff run or success in the long term. It can also be a time of huge mistakes.
Trading young players and future assets for immediate help can pay off for teams looking to take the next step – just look at the Vegas Golden Knights, which have traded most of their first-round draft prospects and won the Stanley Cup in 2023. Not every pick or prospect pans out, so it’s about balancing the risk with the need to commit when a team is in prime position to chase the Cup.
But there are some teams this year that have young players making an impact in the NHL or have high potential and surfaced in trade speculation. Trading these players would be massive swings that will likely backfire.
The Sabres are front and center in this regard, but the Kings, Devils and Islanders also have players who are topics of trade speculation. If they trade these players, whoever gets them should be thrilled that their former team made a potential costly mistake.
Let’s take a closer look at the players in question.
JJ Peterka, LW, And Dylan Cozens, C, Buffalo Sabres
When will the Sabres learn that keeping the good players is how you win?
They’ll likely miss the playoffs for a 14th-straight season, largely because they’ve made the same mistake of trading someone as he’s entering his prime, and that player finds another level elsewhere. They didn’t let Jack Eichel get the surgery he wanted, leading to a trade request. They moved on from Sam Reinhart, just for him to turn into a true star with the Florida Panthers. Rasmus Ristolainen found his form after Buffalo traded him. It’s become a meme at this point.
If the trade speculation about JJ Peterka is true, 31 other teams would covet him in an instant. His pace, energy, relentless motor and goal-scoring ability are all highly desirable traits. He had 28 goals last season, and he’s on pace for about 25 this year. At 23 years old, the sky is the limit for the young stud. Trading him would make little to no sense.
Cozens, meanwhile, popped off for 31 goals and 68 points just two years ago but has regressed during the past two years. Having just turned 24, Cozens is entering the best years of his career. He’s shown the offensive capability needed to be a driver, but as has been the case with many players in the past, something has soured. The Sabers must figure out what’s going on and build Cozens back up rather than using him as trade bait as a buyer.
Trading either player could result in the Sabres giving up an effective forward with 30-goal ability. It’s time for the Sabres to develop this group properly. There comes a point in time when the players are no longer the problem.
Trading either of these guys is like the classic Family Guy sketch, where Peter has a choice between a boat or a mystery box. He chooses the mystery box because it could be anything, even a boat. The lesson here is to just keep the boat.
Quinton Byfield, C/W, Los Angeles Kings
Take out the fact that Byfield was drafted second overall, and a 22-year-old center who had 55 points last season and could reach 50 points again would be highly regarded.
Byfield has flashes of high-end playmaking, a wicked shot and high-end skating ability as a 6-foot-5, 225-pound player who can play center. That type of player would be in any NHL team’s core.
The Los Angeles Kings clearly look to be in win-now mode, and that seems to be the only reason for even considering moving Byfield. But there isn’t a player on the market at the moment who would make sense for the Kings trading Byfield. They need to add a game-changer who can come in and change the next couple of years for the Kings offensively. Byfield could be that centerpiece up front as they transition away from the Kopitar era of the team.
Trading Byfield seems poised to be the kind of move the Kings lose in the long term, with such a limited upside to whatever the return is. If the Kings get past the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and any other Western Conference squad, it will likely be because of Byfield taking an important step.
Simon Nemec, D, New Jersey Devils
When the Devils selected Simon Nemec second overall in the 2022 NHL draft, many felt they made a mistake by passing over Shane Wright and Logan Cooley. At the time, the Devils felt that because they already had Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, they didn’t want to create a logjam at center.
While we can revisit the draft choice another day, the Devils found themselves with a blueline logjam, which reportedly frustrated Nemec, who keeps switching between the NHL and AHL this season. He only has 14 NHL games under his belt this season, including two in March due to an injury to Jonas Siegenthaler.
Nemec spent 60 games in the NHL last season, so it was expected he would play for the Devils full-time this year after a solid rookie season. Nemec’s frustration is warranted, but instead of moving the young blueliner, the Devils must find a way to get him into the lineup more consistently. They could provide him with some excellent development time and give him a chance to face NHL competition.
This one is simple. The Devils drafted Nemec just over two years ago. They need to give the 21-year-old defender time to develop and a chance to prove himself at the NHL level. They can’t lose him for pennies on the dollar.
Noah Dobson, D, New York Islanders
A 25-year-old, 6-foot-4, right-shot defender who averaged 56 points over the last three years is a piece you build around.
The fact Dobson’s name surfaced in trade rumors last month after he changed agents seems asinine. The fact the trade chatter decreased since then is more reasonable, but it hasn’t disappeared. Despite having a down year with 24 points in 49 games as a pending RFA, Dobson is one of the most underrated defensemen in the NHL, and he’s been in the discussion for Team Canada at the Olympics next year.
The Islanders need young talent, and Dobson is within the age range they’ll need moving forward. He has some defensive flaws, but when he’s at his best, his offensive impact is among the best from NHL defensemen.
Dobson would be a massive get for any team. The issue for the Islanders is that as soon as they trade him, they will have a massive hole on the roster and will be on the hunt for a right-handed defender with offensive upside who is entering the prime of their career. Just keep Dobson.
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