Sabres Face Major Criticism After Announcing JJ Peterka Trade originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Buffalo Sabres shipped away forward JJ Peterka in a late-night trade with the Utah Mammoth, leading to some resounding criticism for the team’s return.
The Sabres announced that they traded Peterka in exchange for forward Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring. It was reported afterward that Peterka agreed to a new five-year contract worth $7.7 million annually.
The 23-year-old Peterka is coming off a season where he scored a career-high 68 points for the Sabres.
Reporter Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News noted that Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams had hinted that Peterka’s time in Buffalo was coming to an end. Harrington noted that Peterka’s immediate extension shows that the Sabres lost grip of a promising young player.
“When I asked GMKA on Tuesday if Peterka had asked for a trade and he wouldn’t answer, that said a lot,” Harrington shared in a post on X. “To have already agreed on an extension shows he was done with Sabres. Another massive indictment of this organization.”
UTAH LANDS PETERKA‼️
JJ Peterka is heading to the @utahmammoth along with a five-year extension! ✍️ pic.twitter.com/wn6VT8hycX
— NHL (@NHL) June 26, 2025
Others criticized the Sabres for failing to keep their young talent, with Peterka’s trade coming just days after former Sabres star Sam Reinhart won the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers.
“Regardless of where Peterka goes, and who he goes for and how it ends up working out—-the main point to takeaway is that the Sabres can’t even keep talented, still on the come up 23-year olds wanting to stay in Buffalo anymore,” noted Sabres reporter Patrick Moran in a post on X. “It’s such an awful indictment on the organization”
Related: NHL Insider Drops Massive Update on Sabres’ JJ Peterka Future
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.