Sabres Urged to Trade for One of Four Centers Before NHL Deadline

Buffalo is trying to end its 14-year playoff drought.

Feb. 24, 2026 at 8:35pm

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The Buffalo Sabres are in a playoff position in the Eastern Conference coming out of the Olympic break, and they could look to add a center before the NHL trade deadline on March 6 to bolster their chances of ending their 14-year playoff drought. Daily Faceoff's Scott Maxwell lists four potential center targets for the Sabres: Blake Coleman, Ryan O'Reilly, Steven Stamkos, and Jared McCann.

Why it matters

The Sabres have not made the playoffs since the 2010-11 season, the longest active drought in the NHL. Adding a veteran center could help them solidify their roster and improve their chances of finally returning to the postseason.

The details

The Sabres are in a playoff position in the Eastern Conference, and they could look to add a center before the March 6 trade deadline to improve their depth and chances of ending their 14-year playoff drought. Daily Faceoff's Scott Maxwell suggests four potential targets: Blake Coleman, Ryan O'Reilly, Steven Stamkos, and Jared McCann. The Sabres will have to weigh whether to make a short-term addition or go for a higher-upside long-term option, and they'll also have to decide what to do with pending free agent Alex Tuch.

  • The NHL trade deadline is on March 6, 2026.

The players

Blake Coleman

A potential center target for the Sabres.

Ryan O'Reilly

A potential center target for the Sabres.

Steven Stamkos

A potential center target for the Sabres.

Jared McCann

A potential center target for the Sabres.

Alex Tuch

A pending free agent forward for the Sabres who could be a trade target.

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What they’re saying

“The Sabres are poised to make the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, and it feels like everything is finally clicking for this roster. On one hand, they will want to try to add to this team to build on their depth and improve their chances of making the postseason. But on the other hand, they don't have any glaring weaknesses, and they may not want to disrupt the chemistry of the team when they're finally firing on all cylinders. They could make a short-term buy for a middle-six veteran who doesn't break the bank, shoot for a high-upside long-term options, or even just add along the edges while keeping Tuch as an own rental.”

— Scott Maxwell, Daily Faceoff (sportingnews.com)

What’s next

The NHL trade deadline is on March 6, 2026, so the Sabres will have to decide in the coming weeks whether to make a trade to bolster their roster for the playoff push.

The takeaway

The Sabres have a chance to end their 14-year playoff drought, and adding a veteran center could help solidify their roster and improve their chances of returning to the postseason. However, they'll have to weigh whether to make a short-term addition or go for a higher-upside long-term option, and they'll also have to decide what to do with pending free agent Alex Tuch.