The season is only one month old but we’re starting to get an idea of which teams are going to wind up as buyers and sellers when the calendar flips to 2025. There are also some teams looking to make a move sooner rather than later so they don’t wind up in that latter category.
Two teams worth keeping an eye on over the next few weeks are the Buffalo Sabres and Nashville Predators. The Sabres are trying to break what’s now the longest playoff drought in NHL history at 13 seasons and they’re off to a 6-7-1 start. The Preds spent over $100 million in free agency over the summer and their new-look squad has a 4-9-1 record a week into November.
Nashville general manager Barry Trotz spoke on 102.5 The Game earlier this week and said that he’s going to make changes if the team doesn’t turn things around soon.
“I’m trying to do some things right now,” Trotz said. “We will be limited a little because of some of the contracts we do have. If we don’t get it going, then I’m going to start our rebuild plan a little bit.”
“We brought in the veteran players this year to be a threat. And then in the next coming years, our young guys can take on even bigger and bigger roles,” Trotz continued. “If there’s a position where we fall out and it’s not happening, or doesn’t come together, we’re going to shake it up.”
Last season, the Preds went 47-30-5 but bowed out in the first round of the playoffs to the Vancouver Canucks as a wild-card team. They signed Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei to multi-year contracts in the off-season with the intention of taking a step forward and competing for the top spot in the Central Division. Instead, they’re dead last in the Western Conference standings.
Things aren’t so bleak for the Sabres, who are just a couple of points out of a playoff spot following commanding wins over the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers on Tuesday and Thursday. Head coach Lindy Ruff made the surprising decision to health scratch Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju, a pair of defenders who are paid over $7 million annually combined, for those two games and the team responded with 5-1 and 6-1 wins.
Frank Seravalli spoke about the Sabres on Friday’s edition of Daily Faceoff Live and reported that the team is “open for business” and that they’re looking for a top-six forward.
Tyler Yaremchuk: You said earlier this week that GM Kevyn Adams is open for business. So what’s he looking for?
Frank Seravalli: So in his conversations with teams around the league, as he’s canvassed everyone trying to figure out what is available or potentially available, the Buffalo Sabres have focused on a top-six forward.
Now, that probably doesn’t surprise you. This is a team that could probably use that. The tougher part of the conversation for Buffalo, though, is they have to give to get. So what are you plucking off of your roster in order to make something happen?
Look, this has been a tough start to the season in Buffalo. Everyone knows that Kevyn Adams is, I think, certainly feeling the heat. This is Year 5. Not saying anything’s imminent, but the conversations that Buffalo has had have centered around a top-six forward.
Buffalo’s top line of Tage Thompson, JJ Peterka, and Alex Tuch have scored 19 of the team’s 47 goals this season, but they need some veteran help on the second line for Dylan Cozens. The Whitehorse, Yukon native is playing with two skilled young wingers, Zach Benson and Jack Quinn, but the trio has only managed to combine for four goals thus far.
Vancouver Canucks Thatcher Demko
Apr 21, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko (35) reacts as the Canucks celebrate a goal score by forward Elias Lindholm (23) against the Nashville Predators in the second period in game one of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Arena.

Quick notes from around the NHL…

  • According to Frank Seravalli, Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko could return from injury before the end of November. The team’s starting goaltender has been out since Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators in the spring because of a knee issue. Demko joined the Canucks for an optional skate earlier this week and the next step will be stacking a couple of weeks of practices together. Vancouver has a 7-2-3 record on the season without their Vezina Trophy runner-up goalie. Kevin Lankinen has posted a .923 save percentage over nine games for the Canucks while playoff hero Arturs Silovs has struggled to a .797 save percentage in three starts.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Friday that they’ve placed captain Auston Matthews on the Injured Reserve with an upper-body injury. The team has yet to disclose what exactly is ailing the Arizona native, but head coach Craig Berube said earlier this week that Matthews’ current injury isn’t related to his past wrist issues. Toronto has a 7-5-2 record on the season and Matthews has five goals and 11 points over 13 games played.