Countdown to Free Agent Frenzy: Sabres turned down Rossi for Peterka swap

The NHL's off-season has arrived for all 32 teams who are preparing for the NHL Draft starting on June 27 and Free Agent Frenzy on July 1. TSN.ca keeps you up to date with all the latest rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat.

Sabres chose Utah offer over Wild

The Buffalo Sabres made a blockbuster trade Wednesday in sending restricted free agent JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth for Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan.

According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, the Wild were in on the bidding for Peterka, who signed a five-year deal worth $7.7 million annually, with their package centreing around fellow pending RFA Marco Rossi.

Russo reports, though, that the Sabres were not interested in adding another undersized forward and prioritized filling a need a right-shot defence in trade talks. 

“One of our priorities as we work through this offseason is making our team more competitive and tougher to play against,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said after Wednesday's trade. “The additions of Michael and Josh will help us tremendously in both of those categories.”

Peterka, 23, scored 27 goals and finished with a career-high 68 points in 77 games in a breakout season with the Sabres last year.

Doan, the son of Arizona Coyotes icon Shane Doan, scored seven goals and finished with 19 points in 51 games for Utah last season. Kesselring set career highs in games (82), goals (seven) and points (29) in his third season with Utah last year.

While Rossi remains available, Russo reports Wild general manager Bill Guerin has told suitors he will only move him for a forward with similar production. Guerin would only be interested in future assets if he can flip them a deal to acquire what he's looking for. 

Last week, Patrick Johnston of Postmedia confirmed a report from Russo that the Vancouver Canucks offered the 15th overall pick in next week's draft and a unnamed player to the Wild for Rossi. That proposal was rejected by Minnesota. 

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun wrote in the The Athletic earlier this month that the Canucks, Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens were all looking for a young No. 2 centre. Of those teams, the Canucks were the most interested in Rossi, with the Flames owning mild interest but preferring to add more size and the Canadiens seemingly not pursuing Rossi at all. 

Russo reported earlier this month that the Wild were at a standstill in talks with Rossi, but general manager Bill Guerin said he was "not dying" to trade the 23-year-old forward. Russo wrote that the Wild made Rossi a five-year, $25 million contract offer during the season, which was rejected and countered with a bridge counter that the Wild turned down. Minnesota has since offered a shorter-term deal, which Rossi's camp is yet to counter.  

“There clearly is a difference of opinion with respect to Marco’s value,” Rossi’s agent, Ian Pulver, told Russo. “We will continue in good faith to engage the Wild to attempt to reach resolution. We understand that Billy likes Marco, but for how much? And in what role going forward? (That) is the subject of great debate.

“Like the Wild, we believe we have advanced very fair and reasonable contract proposals. What the future holds for Marco and the Wild, only time will tell.”

As a restricted free agent, Rossi is eligible to sign an offer sheet on July 1, which could put a deadline in place for a resolution. 

Rossi posted 24 goals and 60 points in 82 games with the Minnesota Wild this season, adding two goals and one assist in six playoff games. His time on ice dropped from an average of 18:15 per game in the regular season to 11:08 in the postseason. 
 

More moves coming for Canucks?

The Vancouver Canucks kick-started their off-season on Wednesday, acquiring winger Evander Kane from the Edmonton Oilers for a fourth-round pick.

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports that the Canucks hope to make more moves this week, with adding a centre on the team's priority list. Dreger adds, however, that one move that appears off the table is a Thatcher Demko trade as the Canucks are working to extend the goaltender, who could hit unrestricted free agency in 2026.

"Patrik Allvin, the general manager for the Vancouver Canucks, supervised, of course, by Jim Rutherford, these guys always like to get in the game early, especially on the trade front, and that's what they pulled off here in acquiring Evander Kane from the Edmonton Oilers," Dreger said Wednesday. "But they're not going to stop with the speed and competitiveness of Evander Kane. They've got some other eyes.

"They need a centre so they're looking up the middle of the ice in Vancouver, and I’d also keep an eye on Thatcher Demko, star goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks. There has been some trade speculation around him over the last number of months. I'm not buying any of that at this point. I know there are ongoing discussions with Demko’s representatives, and I would expect the two sides to get a multi-year contract completed sooner rather than later."

Demko, 29, had a 10-8-3 record this past season with the Canucks, recording a 2.90 goals-against average and .889 save percentage. He missed the first two months of the season while dealing with a lower-body injury he sustained during the 2023-24 playoffs. He also missed 15 games later in the season while dealing with a second lower-body injury. 

The 6-foot-4 netminder is entering the final season of a five-year, $25 million contract that carries an annual cap hit of $5 million.

Drafted 36th overall by the Canucks in 2014, Demko has a career record of 126-89-20 with a 2.80 GAA and .910 save percentage. His best season came in 2023-24, when he went 35-14-2 record with a 2.45 GAA and .918 save percentage and finished second in Vezina Trophy voting. 

Adding Kane, who  is entering the final season of a four-year, $20.5 million contract, leaves the Canucks with just over $7 million in cap space with 22 players under contract for next season, per PuckPedia.

Forwards Brock Boeser and Pius Suter remain scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency, along with defenceman Noah Juulsen. 

Allvin said Wednesday he's hopeful that Kane's time with the Canucks could extend beyond this season as he also enters the final year of his current deal.

“I think the past is the past," Allvin said when asked about character issues that have been associated with Kane. "With Evander the last couple of years in Edmonton, I think he contributed a lot to the off-ice stuff and helping out in the society there. And having three kids here now, I think he has matured. I do believe that this gives us a chance and him a chance to see if this is a fit moving on here. And I'm sure hoping so after this year.”
 

Islanders looking to keep Dobson

While the New York Islanders have yet to reach a new contract with pending restricted free agent Noah Dobson, Ethan Sears of the New York Post reports the team has not shifted their focus to a potential trade involving the star defenceman.

Sears adds that the Post was unable to verify a report that Dobson has asked for an $11 million cap hit on his next deal, but moving him does not appear to be the team's preferred course of action.

The Islanders have $20.9 million in cap space this summer, per PuckPedia, with 17 players signed for next season. In addition to Dobson, Alexander Romanov, Simon Holmstrom and Max Tsyplakov are also in need of new deals as restricted free agents.

“I’ve been talking with the agents. It’s all just part of the process,” Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said when asked about Dobson this week. “Sometimes it takes time, sometimes it happens quick and it’s been, actually, with all four of the RFAs, it’s been a very cordial negotiation. We’re just going through the process.

"We all have our ideas of where the contracts will be and we’re working through it.”

Dobson, 25, recorded 10 goals and 39 points in 71 games with the New York Islanders last season while averaging 23:16 of ice time. 

The 6-foot-4 right-shot defenceman is coming off of a three-year, $12 million contract that carried an annual cap hit of $4 million. 

Dobson has a career season during the 2023-24 campaign, recording 10 goals and 70 points in 79 games while averaging 24:31 of ice time. Drafted 12th overall by the Islanders in 2018, Dobson has 50 goals and 230 points in 388 career games. 

The Islanders are expected to add to their blueline in the draft on Friday night, with Matthew Schaefer expected to be selected by New York first overall. 

Marner watch continues

Less than a week remains before Mitch Marner can speak with suitors for his services on the free-agent market.

TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button believes the Washington Capitals would be the perfect landing spot for the Toronto Maple Leafs pending unrestricted free agent after the team took a massive step forward this past season.

The betting odds don't appear to back Button's thoughts, with the Capitals at +6000 to sign Marner at FanDuel. The Vegas Golden Knights, who Button adds would also be a nice fit, are the heavy favourite at -135, followed by the Anaheim Ducks at +500, the Chicago Blackhawks at +750 and the Los Angeles Kings at +850. 

The Capitals would potentially have to move money to fit Marner, with the team owning $9.4 million in cap space, per PuckPedia, with 20 players under contract for next season. The team has two pending restricted free agents to re-sign in Hendrix Lapierre and Alexander Alexeyev. 

Vegas is also tight on potential space for Marner, with a projected $7.6 million with 18 players signed for next season. Cole Schwindt and Nicolas Hague are among the team's four RFAs. 

Watch Button's full breakdown on Marner and more ahead of July below: