At this stage in the season, there isn’t much left for Buffalo Sabres fans to talk about aside from potential trades. Before the Vancouver Canucks dealt forward JT Miller to the New York Rangers, there was talk of the Sabres being linked to young star center Elias Pettersson, especially as it came to light that the relationship between him and Miller became untenable.
Though much of the Sabres fan base is still clamoring for a potential move, it may have been a blessing in disguise that the Sabres didn’t land Pettersson. There are several changes that need to come for the Sabres, but Pettersson should not be one of them.
Pettersson’s Production Has Fallen Off
Ahead of the 2023-24 season, Pettersson had come into his own as an elite young center. With 39 goals and 102 points the season prior, Pettersson had another solid season in 2023-24 with 34 goals and 89 points. Signing him to an eight-year, $92.8 million contract extension made all the sense in the world for the Canucks.
Having said that, it bears noting that Pettersson’s production has drastically fallen off since the signing. In the 19 games to finish the 2023-24 campaign, Pettersson managed just 14 points – well below his point per game average over the previous 143 games. Even still, that may not have been cause for alarm.
This season, both Pettersson and the Canucks have taken a major step back. As a team, the Canucks went from competing for the President’s Trophy to competing for the second wild card spot in the West. Pettersson, meanwhile, has just 11 goals and 34 points in 49 games while publicly feuding with Miller.
For the kind of money that the Canucks are paying Pettersson, that kind of production is unacceptable. They thought they were getting a 90-100-point elite centerman when they inked him to that deal. As of now, they are getting middling second-line center production, at best.
His Contract is a Major Commitment
The Sabres already have some major decisions to make about the future of the team. Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn are the names most bandied about, but there are decisions to be made about guys like Alex Tuch, Mattias Samuelsson, and others. Adding a guy with major question marks like Pettersson only adds to the uncertainty, especially with that kind of contract.
Pettersson is currently fifth in the league in terms of cap hit ($11.6 million) and total contract value ($92.8 million). He gets $14.5 million in cash this season, third in the NHL only behind Auston Matthews and Nathan MacKinnon. That is nothing to scoff at for a team like the Sabres, even with the cap on the rise.
It would be one thing if this franchise had been in contention in the last decade and a half. But for a team that is staring down the barrel of another rebuild, committing to an expensive young center clearly going through some issues may not be the best idea when he is making $11 million per season.
Pettersson is Not What the Sabres Need to Change the Culture
At the end of the day, trading for Elias Pettersson is not the answer because it won’t solve the culture issues the franchise is facing. There is a stink on this franchise going back to the early 2010s, one that has seemingly permeated to every corner of the arena.
The Sabres are in desperate need of tough, physical, two-way impact players in the top six. Pettersson definitely is not that, someone who can be pushed to the fringes of the offensive zone even on his best nights. It may not be entirely fair to call him “soft,” but he certainly doesn’t possess the hard-nosed edge that the Sabres are desperately in need of.
If anything, there is a real fear that a trade to Buffalo would exacerbate the issues that Pettersson is facing. The last 15 seasons haven’t instilled confidence in Sabres fans when it comes to the development of young players. Can the Sabres be trusted to help Pettersson find his game again? Even the most faithful of fans would have to feel dubious about the possibility.
It would be one thing to take on a young player with potential who just hasn’t figured it out yet. Taking on a player who seemingly lost his game after signing a major extension, followed by a public feud with another top player, seems like a very clear mistake. Things are dicey enough without taking on what could be an albatross of a contract.
There is No Quick Fix
Sabres fans are very obviously tired of current results and want any kind of change. While there would certainly be excitement behind a trade for Pettersson, it isn’t the kind of move that is going to put the Sabres over the top in their pursuit of the playoffs. If anything, it has the potential to be damaging for years to come.
Sabres fans need to understand that one big move isn’t going to magically fix everything. Changes are coming this offseason, and the team is closer to another rebuild than making the playoffs. Making a drastic move could wind up doing more harm than good in the long run.
