JJ Peterka trade grades: Who won the Sabres and Mammoth deal?
It seemed fairly certain that JJ Peterka would be dealt in the 2025 NHL offseason -- he was set to be a restricted free agent and was going to get a BIG raise and deservedly so. The German forward who was a 2020 second-rounder for the Buffalo Sabres came off a career-high in points and assists to add to another solid goal-scoring season with 27.
And that's what happened as we get set for the 2025 NHL Draft. The Sabres dealt him to the Utah Mammoth, which means it's time for us to hand out some trade grades to see who won this one.
Let's dive in:
JJ Peterka trade details for the Sabres and Mammoth
SABRES GET: F Josh Doan, D Michael Kesselring
MAMMOTH GET: F JJ Peterrka (and they immediately signed him to a five-year deal with an AAV of $7.7 million)
Utah Mammoth trade grade
The Mammoth are building something really good here. They've got a great core with names like Logan Cooley, Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther and Mikhail Sergachev. Now? They added some firepower at the wing with Peterka without giving up a ton.
Peterka does need to work on his defense if he really wants to be a star in the league, but what we've seen on offense at such a young age is pretty fantastic. This is the right kind of move for a team on the rise, and I'm betting he'll live up to that contract right away and best that career-high.
GRADE: A-
Buffalo Sabres trade grade
It's such a bummer that the Sabres can't keep him. Let's start there. But if there was any indication that he didn't want to be in Buffalo long-term, they might as well get something back.
They got two somethings back: the 6-foot-5 Kesselring has some potential to be in the mix in the top-two defensemen for the club, while Doan -- yes, he's the son of Shane Doan -- could add some two-way bite to the Sabres.
It's not a bad return at all, but given Peterka's untapped potential, it just may not be enough when we look back on this trade in a few years.
GRADE: B
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