Seravalli: Canucks Inquired About Peterka; Showed Interest in Byram
The Vancouver Canucks have reportedly shown interest in two promising young players from the Buffalo Sabres who could potentially be on the trading block.
Speaking on Halford & Brough on Sportsnet 650 on Wednesday, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff indicated that the Canucks are one of the teams actively monitoring Buffalo forward JJ Peterka and may also be considering a possible deal involving defenseman Bowen Byram.
“I believe Vancouver is one of the teams that has closely tracked Peterka and contacted the Sabres regarding his availability,” Seravalli said. “They’ve also shown varying levels of interest in a possible trade for Bowen Byram, so that conversation has been ongoing.”
Peterka has recently emerged as a potential trade candidate, as contract extension talks with the Sabres appear to be uncertain. The 23-year-old winger just completed his entry-level deal and is now a pending restricted free agent. He had a breakout season, posting 27 goals and 41 assists for a total of 68 points in 77 games.
Despite Buffalo’s struggles, Peterka proved to be a reliable offensive contributor. Given that the Canucks lost several key scorers last season and face some uncertainty around Elias Pettersson’s status heading into next year, Vancouver could be looking to bolster their offensive lineup.
It’s unclear whether Buffalo plans to trade Peterka’s signing rights outright or sign him to an extension first, similar to the Matthew Tkachuk deal that sent him to Florida. If no deal is reached before July 1, Peterka could receive an offer sheet from another team—forcing the Sabres to either match the offer or accept compensation in the form of draft picks.
As for Byram, the 23-year-old defenseman, a former fourth-overall draft pick, is also coming off his strongest NHL season to date. He scored seven goals and added 31 assists for a total of 38 points in 82 games, ranking third among Sabres defensemen in scoring, with a +11 rating.
Byram, like Peterka, is a pending restricted free agent and is eligible for salary arbitration. His most recent deal carried a $3.85 million annual cap hit over two years—a bridge contract that could lead to a longer-term agreement.
According to CapWages, the Canucks are projected to have just under $14 million in salary cap space for next season, with only a few notable players hitting unrestricted free agency on July 1.
