On Wednesday, the Buffalo Sabres made some news as it was reported they had a trade in place with the St. Louis Blues for defenseman Colton Parayko. Entering the trade deadline, the Sabres certainly looked to be poised to add to their blueline, but when considering their Top 4, it seemed more likely that it would be a depth addition.
The fact that they had made an aggressive move for Parayko opens up more possibilities for the Sabres, and they might be looking for bigger-name players before the deadline on Friday afternoon. If Parayko does not waive his no-trade clause, these are four players they could pivot to that might fit that role.
4 trade targets for the Buffalo Sabres if Colton Parayko does not waive his no-trade clause
Justin Faulk
The Buffalo Sabres have seemingly been talking to the St. Louis Blues a lot this week as prior to the trade discussions for Colton Parayko, they also had discussions around center Robert Thomas. With that in mind, the Sabres could shift once again and try to see if they can get a deal done with Justin Faulk.
Faulk is not necessarily the big defenseman that the Sabres reportedly are seeking at 6'0". However, he is a veteran who can easily play 22 or 23 minutes in any team's top four and has been very productive on the offensive end with 11 goals in 61 games.
The Sabres could face the same situation, though, as they are facing with Parayko, as Faulk does have a modified no-trade clause. However, his is only 15 teams, and if the Sabres are not one of those teams, it wouldn't be an issue.
Dougie Hamilton
Dougie Hamilton is not the same player he was earlier in his career but part of a blueline like the Sabres, where he can play on the second or third line, could be a great fit for this point of his career. At 32 years old, he is still averaging over 21 minutes of ice time per game and over a hit per game.
Hamilton would also give the Sabres some playoff experience to a locker room that doesn't have much. In his career, he has played in 71 playoff games between his time with the Bruins, Flames, Hurricanes, and Devils.
The biggest challenge with any trade for Dougie Hamilton is going to be the contract, as he still has two more years left on his contract after this season with a cap hit of $9 million. However, if the Sabres can offer a little more while the Devils retain some salary, it is a move that could make sense.
Braden Schneider
Another physical defenseman that could be available is the New York Rangers' defenseman Braden Schneider. He doesn't bring the veteran experience like Parayko, Faulk, or Hamilton, but he does not shy away from contact with 645 hits in 346 career games.
Schneider certainly brings some question marks, and more so after the season, as he is currently in the final year of his contract. He is set to be a restricted free agent, and the Buffalo Sabres may not want to add another contract negotiation this summer when they already have notable free agents in Alex Tuch and Zach Benson.
When considering the Rangers are going to ask for a big return, the risk might be too great for the Sabres to consider a trade here, even if the player would be a great fit in terms of what Jarmo Kekalainen is looking for.
Zach Whitecloud
Of the four players on this list, Zach Whitecloud might be the perfect trade target for the Buffalo Sabres to go after if Colton Parayko doesn't waive his no-trade clause. The 29-year-old was traded earlier this season by the Vegas Golden Knights as part of the Rasmus Andersson trade after playing seven seasons previously in Las Vegas.
Whitecloud is a physical, gritty defenseman who has 624 career hits in only 380 games. This season he already has 95 hits in 59 games while averaging a career-high in ice time at 19:39.
However, the Flames are looking to be heading towards a complete rebuild as players like Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman are the next to go after they already traded Andersson and Mackenzie Weegar this season.
In addition to the player and what he can bring on the ice, his contract has to be attractive to the Sabres as he is under contract for two more seasons with a cap hit of $2.75 million. The salary is easily something that can fit under the salary cap, but more importantly, he doesn't have a no-trade clause.
The Buffalo Sabres have to wait a bit to see if Colton Parayko will eventually waive his no-trade clause but they should be working the phones for back up plans with these four players at the top of their list.