NHL Rumors: Could the Anaheim Ducks and Buffalo Sabres Be Trade Partners?

Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumors here at Full Press Hockey. As our last NHL Rumblings article documented, a lot is happening in the rumour mill, from the Nashville Predators to the Calgary Flames to the Pittsburgh Penguins. But the focus will be on the Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks and whether they make sense to be trade partners.

NHL Rumors: Anaheim Ducks and Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres are a team in the rumor mill right now. Several outlets report that Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams is looking to make a splash and shake up his team as they try to get out of the rebuilding process.

Adams told Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, “I’m open to different things, and I’m not going to stop trying to improve this team.”

Meanwhile, on TSN Insider Trading, Insider Darren Dreger said, “(Kevyn) Adams is willing to consider something bigger, but he does not want to trade away any of his top, young NHL talent.”

Calgary Flames: Flames GM Craig Conroy: “Kevin Bahl and Yegor Sharangovich Have Been Great For Us”

Montreal Canadiens: Montreal Canadiens Wouldn’ be Opposed to Adding Veteran Coach

However, as suggested by David Calabrette on the Full Press Hockey Podcast Around the NHL Rumor Mill segment, the big splash might be trading one of their defenseman, Bowen Byram, whom they acquired at the trade dealing from the Colorado Avalanche, to the Anaheim Ducks for Trevor Zegras.

Jim Biringer: “And then you look at a team like Buffalo, right? They made the big move last year, Bo Byram, for Casey Mittlestad. Mittlestadt is kind of becoming the player that kind of we expected in Colorado. I’m not sure he is still that second-line center we expected him to be. Now the trade winds are circling around Buffalo and Bo Byram.”

David Calabretta: “It never made sense in the first place. And maybe I’m being negative here, but you had (Rasmus) Dahlin on the left, (Owen) Power on the left, (Mattias) Samuelson on the left, who are all just signed long-term deals. By the way, you’re gonna acquire Byram, to play him on the right. So I’m not surprised Byram’s in trade rumors, but I’m also wondering you guys (Buffalo) sprung this on yourself. Yeah, was it an urgency to get rid of Mittlestad? Maybe, probably. Byram would get a lot on the market, though.” 

The Sabres need an offensive player. Buffalo could use Trevor Zegras, who is currently with Anaheim. Zegras needs a change of scenery, and as Calabretta suggested, it makes sense, considering both players are restricted free agents.

Calabretta: “I’ll tell you one thing. You know, maybe it’s crazy, but Zegras for Byram. Buffalo they have made it known they’re looking for a forward. Anaheim, they are going to lose Cam Fowler eventually. It’s only a matter of time. They have (Pavel) Mintyukov after that (Owen) Zellweger but why not? Look, I don’t know anything going on, but that would make the most sense. That makes more sense than Mittelstadt for Byram.”

As one source told Full Press, Hockey “Zegras is not a Pat Verbeek guy,” and that goes back to the contract holdout in the summer of 2023. He is in play along with Frank Vatrano, Robby Fabbri, John Gibson, and Fowler.

But this trade scenario makes sense between these two teams looking to make a splash. Anaheim needs a left-shot D with Fowler on the move. Byram is a good young piece to complement the roster’s players.

Stay tuned for more NHL Rumors from Full Press Hockey.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? Launched in April and we are posting weekly podcasts, hot takes, and rumors from around the NHL. Come along for the ride.