The Buffalo Sabres are off to a
stumbling start, going 0-3-0 through the opening week of the season
before thumping the Ottawa Senators 8-4 on Wednesday.
It doesn’t help
matters that Josh Norris is currently sidelined with an upper-body
injury, leaving them in need of depth at center.
Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic
recently looked at several options for the Sabres to address that
issue. One could be looking for help in the trade market.
Fairburn suggested the Sabres pursue
Rickard Rakell. The 32-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins forward has been
a winger for much of his NHL career, but he has played center in the
past. He’s signed through 2027-28 with an average annual value of $5
million, and had a career high of 35 goals and 70 points in 81 games
last season with the struggling Penguins.
Rakell frequently surfaced in trade
rumors during the off-season and pre-season. He carries an eight-team
no-trade list, which Fairburn acknowledged could be a problem for the
Sabres.
The Sabres should consider other trade
targets. According to Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review, Rakell is happy with the Penguins and wants to
remain in Pittsburgh.
In Toronto, Nick Robertson’s ongoing
struggle to earn a larger role with the Maple Leafs has again made
him the subject of trade conjecture.
Robertson initially surfaced in the
rumor mill during the summer of 2024 when he requested a trade from
the Leafs before eventually signing a one-year contract. This summer,
he and the Leafs avoided arbitration as he agreed to a one-year,
$1.825 million deal.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reports the Maple
Leafs’ depth at forward makes it difficult for Robertson to move up
into a top-six role. He said that GM Brad Treliving has
spoken with several clubs that may have an interest in the
24-year-old left winger.
Treliving could use Robertson as a
trade chip to address any roster issues that arise during this
season. However, they might have to bundle him with a draft pick or a
prospect to get something worthwhile in return.
Meanwhile, Sportsnet’s Elliotte
Friedman said the Calgary Flames could be looking at upgrading their
backup goalie position. During Monday’s episode of 32 Thoughts:
The Podcast, he indicated that they were talking to other clubs
about a goaltender.
Friedman stated that the Flames intend
to give Devin Cooley a fair shot to establish himself as Dustin
Wolf’s understudy. If they add another netminder, they would have
four on one-way contracts. He claimed that the teams the Flames have
spoken with want an incentive to take one of those extra goalies in
return.
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