As the confetti settles and celebrations quiet down in Florida, the offseason buzz is getting louder. Although there’s still time for free agency, which kicks in on July 1, teams and players are making moves. The Edmonton Oilers were first to the big announcements party as they shook things up, trading Evander Kane to the Canucks. “To the Oilers Ownership, front office, coaching staff, and trainers—thank you for believing in me,” wrote Kane. Next in line are the Buffalo Sabres, who have already set in motion a deal that’s been receiving much flak ever since Frank Seravalli caught wind of it.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs have had the community debating on a serious rebuild since bowing out of the NHL playoffs in Round 2. However, it seems the Buffalo Sabres will make the first move with JJ Peterka, as the Utah Mammoth are on the hunt to sign some talent. “Breaking: Sources say #Sabres have agreed in principle to trade forward JJ Peterka to @utahmammoth,” announced insider Frank Seravalli.

“BUT there is apparently a contingency holding up the deal. If completed, and still a big if, would be a big get for #TusksUp, adding another 23-year-old top line forward to the mix,” added the President of Hockey Content at the Daily Faceoff. However, fans didn’t need to wait for updates to voice their disapproval at losing a 23-year-old NHL prospect. “I am a mess,” one fan wrote while sharing the news.

Unfortunately, the Buffalo Sabres fan didn’t jump the gun with that reaction. Frank Seravalli continued to drop updates for the trade and all but confirmed it. “Trade call being arranged. This is happening,” the hockey insider wrote in one of his updates. The following updates revealed even more details, including who the Sabres were getting and probably the contingency that held up the trade in the first place.

The NHL insider revealed that the Buffalo Sabres will get not one but two players in exchange for JJ Peterka. The hockey writer revealed that Utah also traded two of its young talents for Peterka. 25-year-old Michael Kesselring and 23-year-old Josh Doan will make their way to the Sabres camp, as Utah has also secured a contract extension of five years for Peterka. Peterka’s extension with Utah: 5 years x $7.7 million = $38.5 million.
However, this didn’t change much for the devastated Sabres fans.

The Buffalo Sabres fans were less than thrilled

Not just one, but several fans immediately expressed their disappointment the moment Frank Seravalli reported on the trade. “Why do I torture myself by being a Sabres fan?” commented another fan, expecting the worst. However, the sentiment didn’t really change even when they learned about the young prospects joining the Sabres ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season.

“What are the sabers even doing?” asked one fan. Yet, it’s not like either Kesselring or Doan are bad draws for the Buffalo Sabres. The 23-year-old winger scored 7 goals and 19 points in his rookie season with Utah. Meanwhile, the 25-year-old defenseman grew in his last season with Utah, scoring career-highs of 7 goals and 29 points. What’s more? They even teamed up to make history for US hockey.

Kesselring and Doan were part of the team that won the World Championships in May for the first time since 1933. Yet none of these promising stats could calm the fans down. Then again, neither player could beat JJ Peterka’s performance during the 2024-2025 regular season. In fact, they didn’t come close to the NHL forward’s goals, even if you combined their scoring stats.

Peterka played 77 games for the Buffalo Sabres during the regular season, scoring 27 goals and 41 assists, totaling 68 points. While his scoring stats remained the same, he nearly doubled his assists from his 50-point, 2023-24 season in 5 fewer games. One fan was so devastated he wrote, “Congratulations to the Utah HCs on their Stanley Cup victory.”

Meanwhile, another fan saw it as the Buffalo Sabres making yet another bad deal in a history of making bad deals. “What a disgrace of an organization. Eichel, Reinhart, O’Reilly, Ullmark, Hagel, Kassian, Montador, Myers, Cozens, and the list adds Peterka. Get players traded before their prime years,” wrote the angry fan. He even called for the team to release their GM.

“What a dumpster fire, and embarrassed to be a Sabres fan. Fire GMKA now!!” the fan wrote, questioning Kevin Adams’ decision to trade JJ Peterka. Yet, what did you think of the trade news? Are you in the same boat as the disappointed Buffalo Sabres fans? Tell your views in the comments.