JJ Peterka trade grades: Mammoth add dynamic young scorer, Sabres bet big on Michael Kesselring

After weeks of commercial rumors, Buffalo’s knowledge finally treated Winger JJ Peterka at Mammoth Utah in exchange for defender Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan. Peterka was one of the hottest names on the market and goes to a team of mammoths that is already loaded with skill ahead.

Peterka, who has just turned 23 in January, exploded with 27 goals and 41 assists last season. In fact, Peterka’s production has made a great leap in each of its three full seasons. The old selection of the second round has the potential of being a player per game and one end of the upper line of good faith.

Mammoths are an increasing team, so this movement makes sense to them, especially if they had the feeling that Mitch Marner was not going to land at the free agency. Peterka is a good consolation prize, even if it is clearly less polished.

The return seems a bit bewildering for the knowledge at first sight, but they did not necessarily leave their hands empty. Kesselring is a disadvantage that can be very good on a role of first four places. Doan is still 23 years old, and there is a good chance that he will play a six -back six in Buffalo for a long time.

Let’s look more deeply at what had each side in this agreement as they came out.

The trade

Mammoth receives

Knowledge receive

• F Josh Doan
• D Michael Kesselring

Notes

Utah mammoth

Peterka was one of the most coveted players in the commercial block for a reason. It is difficult to find the 23 -year -olds whose production has jumped 18 points in each of the last two seasons. In 2024-25, Peterka’s 68 points were tied with Rasmus Dahlin for a second on the team, and rounded an exciting young group in Salt Lake City.

There are few things that Peterka likes to attack the rush, so he brings a quick rise capacity to the Utah crime. With 55 goals combined over the past two years, Peterka has shown that it can turn on the lamp in the Nhl Level, but also showed good play capacity this past season. He almost doubled his total attendance from the previous year, going from 22 to 41.

As big as Peterka can be in the offensive area, especially in transition, there are some obvious warts in his game. In particular, Peterka has the tendency to return much what he gets. With Peterka on the ice at five-five-five years old, the knowledge allowed 3.04 XGA/60, For statistical natural trick. That bad defense did not always appear at the box score because the knowledge fired by 14.2% when Peterka was in the game. This is not a sustainable number.

In acquiring Peterka, the Mammoth signed it to a five -year contract worth $ 7.7 million. Given its age and the upward trend of the pay lid, this should be a fair agreement. Peterka has an immense offensive and the mammoth will have a weapon at the top of the programming if you can clean your defensive game. Degree: B+

Buffalo knowledge

If I were me, I’m not sure I would have been looking for Peterka, even if his contract requirements were at high end. This type of talent proved to such a young age is difficult to find, and it will be difficult for Buffalo to replace Peterka in his first six places. Kenches can end here, but Kesselring will have to prosper in his new role.

Seeing Kesselring, it is not difficult to see why the sabs would have some interest in him. The 6 -foot defender of 5 and 215 pounds moves well, and is able to make some shit. These are all traits NHL teams Identify in the first four defenders, which is exactly the role that Kesselring will be asked in Buffalo. Last season, Kesselring published a 54.1% objective quota at five by five, according to Natural Stat Trick. He did it while surrendering only 2.31 XGA/60.

In the offensive end, Kesselring published seven goals and 22 assists, but I suspect he is able to be more given the way they skate. With another year in the contract at $ 1.4 million, Kesselring is also much cheaper than Peterka, even if he is older.

Doan, the son of Arizona Coyotes, the legend Shane Doan, played a role of six funds for Utah last season. Recorded 19 points in 51 games. These numbers will not blow anyone, but at the age of 23, Doan can grow on a solid role of six funds to give the sabers a decent depth.

At first glance, this is a bad treatment for knowledge due to the amount of offense that just went out through the door. What keeps your fleet note is the potential of the underestimated Kesselring, which will really need Buffalo if also sells the Ombudsman Bowen Byram at some point this summer. Grade – C+