Sabres Reportedly Taking Calls On Peterka & Asking Price Revealed; Capitals Should Be Among Suitors
The Capitals are looking to add another skilled forward this offseason. Could Peterka fit the bill?
The Washington Capitals acknowledged that if they were to take a big hack this offseason, it would have to be a “really big hack.” Some top names are emerging on the market, and now, that includes Buffalo Sabres forward J.J. Peterka.
Per The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, Buffalo has changed its tune on Peterka, a restricted free agent, and is listening to calls. At this point, it’ll be surprising if the German winger is back on the Sabres to open the season, and the asking price is apparently a right-handed defenseman to replace Bowen Byram — who is also on the block — along with NHL-ready assets.
There are several teams already taking a look at Peterka, and the Capitals should certainly be among them and doing what they can to make a splash for the forward.
The 23-year-old winger is a talented player with plenty of upside and ability. He’s young, fast and works wonders with the puck, and is coming off back-to-back impressive seasons with Buffalo.
In 77 games this past season, Peterka had 27 goals and 41 assists for 68 points, a strong follow-up from his 50-point campaign in 2023-24. He gets to the high-danger areas and plays a consistent game, and he doesn’t shy away from battling for the puck, either.
The Capitals will have some vacancies on the wing going into next season with Andrew Mangiapane, Taylor Raddysh and Anthony Beauvillier all poised to hit free agency. And, with Connor McMichael poised to take over as the third-line center, there will be a spot available on the top-6.
Peterka fits the bill for what Washington wants: a skilled forward who can play heavy minutes and add an “it” factor to the offense. As the postseason showed, teams need to have an impressive arsenal and consistent secondary scoring, and a young up-and-coming star like Peterka would work wonders. It would also add another promising player for the future as the team continues to prepare for the post-Alex Ovechkin era.
Of course, bringing in a name like Peterka will put the Capitals in a spot where they’ll have to part ways with a defender and some other pieces to create an enticing package for Buffalo to consider, but the team may have to take chances if they want to add and make a splash.
Washington has $9.375 million to work with in projected cap space going into the offseason, and though general manager Chris Patrick hinted that this summer will be quieter than last year’s retool on the fly, anything can happen.
