Nov 8, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring (8) watches the play against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images James Guillory-Imagn Images

Sabres May Have Won Summer Blockbuster After All

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Jan 28, 2026 10:00 AM ET

The Buffalo Sabres and Utah Mammoth linked up for a blockbuster trade this past offseason. The Mammoth, looking for more top-six talent, acquired scoring winger JJ Peterka from the Sabres. In exchange, Utah sent young winger Josh Doan and defensive defenseman Michael Kesselring to Buffalo.

Initially, the Sabres appeared to be the obvious losers. The Mammoth acquired a potential 30-goal scorer who is just 24 years old and under team control after he immediately signed a contract extension with Utah.

The 2025-2026 regular season is almost at the Winter Olympics break. Both teams are in the playoff picture in their respective conferences, and both organizations are presumably happy with the end of that blockbuster bargain. But as the season reaches the home stretch, the Sabres should feel confident knowing they are the clear-cut winners of that deal.

Doan Go Breakin' My Heart

The reason Utah was the winner of this trade last summer was because they acquired the better play by a significant margin. Peterka posted 27 and 28-goal campaigns in the past two seasons, while Doan was figuring out how to become a full-time NHL player. Kesselring was a throw-in, capable of playing on the right-side of your bottom two defensive pairs.

Fast forward to the end of January, and it's unclear which forward is the better player right now. Peterka has 18 goals and 16 assists for 34 points so far, while Doan has 16 goals and 36 points in his debut campaign with Buffalo.

But what separates Doan is his physicality. Doan has a nose for the net, and he is always a nuisance for the opposing goaltender to deal with. Peterka is a sniper and possesses a wicked release, but Doan is impacting the game in more areas of the offensive and defensive zones.

Kesselring Completing Blue Line

If it were just Doan for Peterka, this would be considered a draw. But the Sabres also brought in an underrated defender in Michael Kesselring.

Kesselring is an unassuming defender, but he's a key part of their blue line. Injuries have derailed his first season in Buffalo, but with his recent return to the lineup, he's looked strong. Averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time per contest, he's giving the Sabres a huge boost on their bottom-pairing and penalty killing groups.

The Sabres are one of the teams surprising the NHL. Their possession of a playoff spot has been an unexpected development this season, and it's largely thanks to their two new players in Doan and Kesselring. Their energy and new mentality has helped unlock a new era in Buffalo, and it's become clear that the Sabres have won the blockbuster trade from last summer.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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