Could Blues Be a Sabres Trade Partner?

The Buffalo Sabres trade chatter has picked up. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet wrote in his “32 Thoughts” column two weeks ago that Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams was “active” in trying to add to the roster. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wrote Wednesday that the Sabres are making a push for a big trade. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff talked with Adams himself, confirming that he is trying to improve the team.

When three NHL insiders are reporting on trade activity, you listen. To add to the reports, the Sabres hosted a full house of scouts and executives for Monday’s matinee against the Montreal Canadiens at KeyBank Center. Representatives from the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and St. Louis Blues, among others, were in attendance.

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Heavy Scouting Presence

To clarify how professional scouting works, there are usually a handful of area scouts in attendance for every Sabres home game. These scouts work for other organizations but live in the area. They could be taking note of Buffalo players, but also report back on the Sabres’ opponents.

It is notable, however, when another general manager is in attendance. Boston’s Don Sweeney has been lingering at recent games. Pittsburgh’s Kyle Dubas was one of the many at the Montreal game. Most notably, St. Louis’ Doug Armstrong was at the past two home games, along with Blues assistant general manager Tim Taylor.

Armstrong has displayed in the past that he’s not afraid to shake things up with his roster in-season. The Blues are on a three-game losing streak heading into Thursday night’s game against the Sabres. Their .438 point percentage is the fifth-worst in the Western Conference.

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St. Louis Blues Players of Interest

Kasperi Kapanen

The Blues have a host of underperforming players, but one in particular has an expiring contract. Kasperi Kapanen has been a healthy scratch for St. Louis at times this season and is on a one-year, $1 million deal. The 28-year-old right-winger is known for his speed and defense more than offense at this point in his career.

Kapanen provides value by using his speed to push play up-ice, draw penalties, and get in on the forecheck. It’s a stylistic fit with what the Sabres added to their bottom six during the offseason.

If the Sabres are trying to reel in a big fish, he’s certainly not it. A trade with the Blues for Kapanen provides some roster flexibility, allowing the effective Jason Zucker to play up in the top six. He would be the easiest player for St. Louis to part with and likely wouldn’t cost the Sabres much in trade compensation.

Brandon Saad

Brandon Saad has only six points in 13 games for the Blues this season, which is not ideal for a perennial top-six forward. He’s always been regarded as a reliable two-way player, able to play on any line in any situation.

His poor play-driving and defensive metrics are concerning, but Saad still can create plays at 32 years old. He’s a willing shooter, driving stylistic comparisons to Patrik Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Buffalo’s Jack Quinn.

A change of scenery could lift Saad back to the effective offensive player he was just a season ago, where he had 26 goals. He comes with a heftier price tag, with two seasons remaining on his contract at a $4.5 million cap hit.

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Other Options

If the St. Louis Blues decide to tear things down completely, the Sabres could be in the hunt for either the just-extended Pavel Buchnevich or Jordan Kyrou at forward. Center Brayden Schenn also comes with a big price tag and is currently underperforming.

It’s not clear if a trade with the Blues makes any sense, but there’s no doubt St. Louis is mulling their options.