Keeping this paragraph as a starting point if this is your first time reading this series: We will be continuing our journey through this series looking at one team at a time to act as a trade partner. Please keep in mind this should not be viewed in the same way as a comprehensive GM for a day type of post where we are looking to completely overhaul the team in one fell swoop. Each article will “reset” the Sabres roster, so don’t be surprised to see the same players, prospects, and picks used repeatedly in various trade offers.
First and foremost, kudos to Kyle Okposo for ending his career on the highest note possible by playing his last game which resulted in winning the Stanley Cup. Many of us want GMKA to be more aggressive in trying to improve the team today, but it was a classy move to trade Okposo to the Panthers for a late round draft pick just to give the guy a chance to win the cup.
The Florida Panthers at the time of this writing are currently 7th in the league strictly based on points percentage, not overall points. The Stanley cup hangover does not appear to be impacting their regular season play, and they have firmly entrenched themselves in conversations as a legitimate contender again this season.
To Buffalo: Anton Lundell
To Florida: Connor Clifton, Peyton Krebs, Adam Kleber, and 2025 2nd and 4th round picks.
If you asked most fans or perhaps even players what it takes to win games in the playoffs I imagine your results may vary, but some consistencies you would likely hear are the ability to play fast and hard. Physicality and tenacity matter, and by acquiring both Connor Clifton and Peyton Krebs those are traits being added to the Panthers roster to augment their already talented line-up.
The Panthers have some key players to sign this off-season, big names to highlight that list include Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad. Bennett generally functions as their 2nd line center, and Ekblad is in the final year of a contract that paid him 7.5million annually. Bennett, in particular, is in line for a large raise. With the recent announcement about future salary cap numbers he will be looking to cash in on that potential growth, especially with his past performance outweighing his current and previous cap hit. Could the Panthers be willing to part with a player like Lundell to open up some cap flexibility and provide room for future trades or free agent signings? The Panthers GM is not afraid to be bold and shake things up, I do expect to them their team make some moves at or before the deadline.
Additionally, the Panthers have one of the worst prospect pipelines in the entire NHL, add that to the fact that they are missing their first, second, and third round picks for this upcoming draft and things are not looking so positives for their futures. With this trade the Panthers gather young talent in Krebs, who be able to thrive in a new environment, plus a solid RHD with substantial size in Kleber, and a 2nd round pick which is likely to be at the very beginning of that round. Clifton adds some defensive depth to the team, and also balances out a roster with only a single RHD currently listed on the team.
Coming back to the Sabres is a player I was very happy to see did not have any no trade or no move clause attached to his contract. Anton Lundell is absolutely the best player in the deal, however the Sabres are giving up a decent amount of collective value in order to pry him away from the Panthers. Sometimes referred to as “baby Barkov”, Lundell is a very strong two way player and is able to provide decent offense as well. In last year’s playoffs he was a plus player and managed 17 points in 24 games.
If the Sabres do end up trading Cozens (especially given the recent uptick in rumors), having a player like Lundell on the team helps to dramatically reduce the impact of that loss. Lundell appears to have the tools to be a solid 2nd line center, with the ability to move up or down the line-up as the situation calls for it. He was taken 12th overall in the 2020 draft, and while giving up Krebs isn’t ideal, there doesn’t seem to be a perfect spot for him in Buffalo to take the next developmental step. Lundell plays a refined game, and has a history of winning, referencing him being a big part of the 2019 world juniors U18 team that won the championship for team Finland. Maybe UPL will appreciate brining any Finnish player to the team as well, especially given Jokiharju’s tenure with the Sabres seems to be coming to an end.
Hoping you all enjoyed reading this article. While I don’t think it is likely that Florida would “give-up” Lundell, he would absolutely be a player worth targeting for the right price.
Thank you as always – looking forward to hearing from everyone in the comments! And, one more shot – if interested in participating in a Sabres/Hockey podcast please let me know.
Go Sabres