NHL Rumor Roundup: Updated Trade Speculation On Sabres And Islanders

The Buffalo Sabres winless skid is now a season-long 11 games (0-8-3) after falling 6-1 to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night. There’s no sign they’ll pull out of this tailspin anytime soon.

Trade rumors continue to swirl around the Sabres, with Dylan Cozens becoming the hot topic of media chatter. The 23-year-old center is two years removed from a career-best 68-point performance but has struggled to score this season.

RG.Org’s Marco D’Amico cited a source claiming the Nashville Predators had spoken to the Sabres about Cozens as they try to bolster their depth at center. THN.com’s Emma Lingan said acquiring him would fit the plans for the Predators, which are trying to get younger. Meanwhile, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was spitballing a deal that would see the Sabres ship Cozens and defenseman Bowen Byram to the Vancouver Canucks for Elias Pettersson. The Hockey News’ Michael DeRosa thought it would be a franchise-altering move for both clubs but that it would be shocking for Vancouver to part with Pettersson.

Related: Opinion: Players Don’t Want To Go To The Sabres Because They Stink. It Has Nothing To Do With Palm Trees And Taxes

Last week, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli wondered if the Los Angeles Kings might try to grab a young player from the Sabres. On Tuesday, the New York Post‘s Larry Brooks suggested the Rangers trade struggling young winger Kaapo Kakko to the Buffalo Sabres for rugged forward Jordan Greenway.

Despite the conjecture, the Sabres currently have no plans to shake things up. Owner Terry Pegula met with the team on Monday in Montreal, where he reportedly gave a vote of confidence to GM Kevyn Adams and coach Lindy Ruff. Pegula also told the players not to expect a big trade.

Pegula’s pep talk did nothing to prevent the Sabres’ lopsided defeat at the hands of the Canadiens.

Related: Three Big Steps The Buffalo Sabres Could Do To Get Back On Track

Turning to the New York Islanders, Ethan Sears of the New York Post believes GM Lou Lamoriello could be forced to become a seller at the trade deadline.

Lamoriello has doggedly stuck with the same roster core, especially aging forwards Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri. Both are UFA-eligible in July and would be prime trade candidates if the Isles are out of contention or a “first-round and out” club for the third straight year.

Sears suggested the Isles’ salary cap constraints next season could make it difficult to keep the roster intact. With Nelson and Palmieri in their mid-thirties, they don’t have many more productive years ahead of them. Shopping one or both players at the deadline could fetch returns that add more depth to their prospect pipeline.

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