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. 

The Buffalo Sabres are open for business. 

Kevyn Adams hasn’t been shy expressing his desire to inject talent into Buffalo’s roster and in addition to the 11th overall pick, it appears that he is prepared to include either players or prospects into an offer that brings back significant talent. Last fall, there was some expectation that Adams would take a stab at a significant trade, and in anticipation of that, we put together this list of trade tiers for Buffalo’s players and prospects. With it seeming nearly inevitable that Adams will pull the trigger on a deal in the next week, it was high time to revisit those trade tiers.

This list will differ a bit from the version in the fall as the Sabres still have several unsigned restricted and unrestricted free agents. Most of the team’s UFAs are of little consequence in trade discussions, so they wouldn’t have made this list anyway. But the RFAs remained, with some exceptions, as they still have value in a trade. I have also left draft picks off this list since, theoretically, they’re all readily available to be dealt at any moment. So this list will focus solely on Buffalo’s prospects and roster players.