It’s no secret that Buffalo isn’t a preferred destination in the NHL, something that has come into sharp focus after Kevyn Adams’ press conference on Friday.
This wasn’t the first time Adams has bemoaned his inability to complete trades due to no movement protection or a disinterest in signing in Buffalo long term. A far more striking comment from Adams came during a prior press availability when he expressed frustration over players refusing to waive their no trade clause through the frame of wanting players who “want to be here.” It was a laughable assertion to make given that it is Adams’ job to sell players on the project in Buffalo. There was a time that Terry Pegula would have booked a helicopter to fly to convince Robyn Regehr that Buffalo was the best place for him to play. Now I doubt he’d reimburse his GM for the Uber ride from the Winnipeg airport to Nikolaj Ehlers’ house. Still Adams isn’t without ammunition to pitch players on. A pair of first overall picks on the blueline. A number one center with a nuclear warhead at the end of his stick. And – laughable as it may be – a team that has been in the thick of the playoff hunt the last two seasons. At some level, there is room for Adams to sell players that they can be part of something in Buffalo, yet he’s failed to do so for several seasons running.
One thing Adams could do is explore a trade for players without trade or movement protection. It’s a novel concept, I know, but there the league isn’t lacking in that department.
Looking around the league, there are at least 40 players of note without any sort of no trade or no movement clause on their contract. Some players probably may not be enough of a needle mover for what the Sabres are trying to build, but they fill a role in their respective teams’ top six or top nine and the only thing Adams would need to acquire one of those players would be a viable trade offer.
One of my personal favorites of this crop of players is Troy Terry. He has three more years on his contract after 2024-25 with a $7 million cap hit. He’ll be 30 when his contract expires and has excelled as a transition driver with first line talent and impacts. He’s hit 20 goals each of the last three seasons and he’s trending towards another 20-goal, 60-point season this year. He fits virtually every need the Sabres have today and fits perfectly in the cap and contract structure they’ve built their core around. And since his no trade protection doesn’t kick in until the summer, all Kevyn Adams would need to do is make Pat Verbeek a competitive offer.
Jordan Kyrou is another whose trade protection doesn’t trigger until the summer, same goes for the hottest name in the hypothetical trade machine, Brady Tkachuk. What other players around the NHL lack any sort of trade protection? Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, Joel Farabee, Jason Robertson, Sam Bennett and Conor Garland, just to name a few. This is thanks, in part to the league’s rules on no trade and no movement protection, which only allows players 27 or older, or with seven accrued seasons, to negotiate no trade protection into their contracts. That means young stars like Tkachuk, Jack Hughes, Matt Boldy and Alexis Lafreniere lack protection as well. It doesn’t mean those types of guys would ever be made available, but the idea that any player Adams may want to acquire would refuse to come is far from reality.
The Sabres aren’t completely painted into a corner when it comes to improving their roster. They don’t need to rely on unrestricted free agency (a typically risky endeavor) or convincing players with a no trade or no movement clause to waive – though it wouldn’t hurt to do a bit more work in that regard. What it will require is for Adams to ante up in a similar manner to the Ryan McLeod or Bowen Byram trades. Adams will need to ship out one or more of his recent high picks, a draft pick or even a young roster player. It would be a fine price to pay given the right situation and it’s certainly something the fan base would welcome after the GM said “the time is now” over the summer.
The important takeaway here is that Adams has options. Good ones at that. It’s on Adams to get a trade over the finish line.
This list is not comprehensive of all players without a no trade clause or no movement clause, but a collection of notable top-six or middle-six players without any sort of no trade protection throughout the league. Many have clauses that activate this summer. Data collected from Puck Pedia.
| Troy Terry | Trevor Zegras | Yegor Sharangovich | Martin Necas |
| Seth Jarvis | Andrei Svechnikov | Jason Robertson | Lucas Raymond |
| Evan Rodrigues | Eetu Luostarinen | Carter Vergaeghe | Sam Bennett |
| Anton Lundell | Trevor Moore | Quinton Byfield | Matt Boldy |
| Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki | Ryan O’Reilly | Dawson Mercer |
| Jack Hughes | Alexis Lafreniere | Filip Chytil | Drake Batherson |
| Josh Norris | Brady Tkachuk | Tim Stutzle | Joel Farabee |
| Travis Konecny | Owen Tippett | Matty Beniers | Robert Thomas |
| Jordan Kyrou | Anthony Cirelli | Brandon Hagel | Barrett Hayton |
| Matias Maccelli | Lawson Crouse | Conor Garland | Elias Pettersson |
| Connor McMichael | Dylan Strome | Gabe Vilardi |
Two in the Box 