JJ Peterka: could the Canadiens have done the same deal?

All this to say that even though he was still a few years away from becoming an unrestricted free agent, the player was finally traded to Utah. Just days away from becoming a free agent WITH restrictions, he accepted $7.7 M per year over five years in Salt Lake City.

And in return, Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring headed for Buffalo.

The first thing you think when you see this transaction is that the Sabres have been robbed. And to a certain extent, I think they have.

Peterka has scored 55 goals in the last two seasons, and in 2024-2025, he’s scored 27 times and earned 68 points. And he’s only 23 right now.

But at the same time, I don’t think we should underestimate what defenseman Michael Kesselring can bring to a team. At 25, the right-hander is coming off a 29-point season, and he’s going to keep improving.

At 6’4, the defenseman moves the puck well and has a $1.4M contract for next season – before becoming a restricted free agent. That’s something you don’t find on the streets.

I’m not saying he shouldn’t have been traded for Peterka, on the contrary. What I am saying is that a right-handed defenseman has value in the National Hockey League.

And here’s proof.

The question we have to ask ourselves is whether the Canadiens could have picked up Peterka under those conditions. Was it a logical deal for the Habs?

On paper, it’s clear that adding such talent would have been positive.

But it’s important to remember that Peterka doesn’t play center. We know that the Habs are open to adding top-6 talent even if it’s on the wings, but it’s something to keep in mind.

Would the Sabres have traded Peterka in the division for the same price? In my eyes, it would probably have been Logan Mailloux, a young right-handed defenseman, who would have been in demand instead of Kesselring.

And who would Josh Doan have been? Emil Heineman? Considering that the price wouldn’t have been the same as for a Western club…

Another question is whether Peterka wanted to play in Canada. And if so, would he have accepted “only” $7.7 M per year like in Utah? That’s more than Juraj Slafkovsky, but less than Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki.

I’m not saying it would have been impossible for the Habs, quite the contrary… but I also wonder how much the Habs want a guy taller than Peterka (6′ according to Hockey DB, so probably 5’11 in reality) for the future.

Completing this transaction would undoubtedly have been more difficult for the Habs than it was for the Mammoth. And the American club is rewarded: it suddenly finds itself with an offensive top-6 that has a lot of bite – even if it’s not the biggest.

extension

8.5 M for Mikhail Sergachev… $6.0 M for Sean Durzi… $7.7 M for JJ Peterka… $7.15 M for Clayton Keller… $7.142 M for Dylan Guenther… $5.85 M for Nick Schmaltz… $4.75 M for Karel Vejmelka…

Yes, the Coyotes are well and truly dead. And in Salt Lake City, we can dream of the playoffs in 2026.