Teams Waiting for Panic Moves from Rangers, Sabres

The New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres continue to spiral and teams are ready to pounce.

Dec 11, 2024; Buffalo, New York, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) and Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens (24) look for the puck during the second period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images / Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

The state of New York has three teams in the NHL and two of them have been in a complete free fall as the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres stand as a pair of the coldest teams in the league. The losses are piling up and the turmoil is mounting for the Rangers and Sabres and a few moves might be on the horizon.

The Rangers have already started making deals by trading away their captain and recently a disgruntled forward, but teams are waiting for the Sabres to start making moves of their own. Pierre LeBrun said on TSN that Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams is listening to trade options but is hoping to make smart moves.

Other teams around the NHL, however, are waiting for a panic move from either Adams or Rangers GM Chris Drury. According to a source with Responsible Gambler, numerous teams are chomping at the bit to get a call from a New York area code.

“We probably all seem like a swarm of sharks with blood in the water to Chris and Kevyn,” a rival executive told rg.org. ““We’re all scouting them and waiting to see what happens here before the Holiday deadline and into the Trade Deadline.”

The Rangers hold a 3-11-0 record in their last 14 games, which has pushed them multiple points out of an Eastern Conference wild card spot. During this run they’ve lost to the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators.

At the time of those losses, the Blackhawks and Predators were the 32nd-ranked team in the NHL. The Rangers were the President’s Trophy winners for 2023-24.

The Sabres, meanwhile, have gone 11 straight games without a win, going 0-8-3 and dropping all the way to last in the Eastern Conference. Owner Terry Pegula even traveled to Montreal to visit with the team and reassure them there is faith in that current group.

Those meetings were followed promptly by a 6-1 loss at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens.

“I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes.”

Both the Rangers and Sabres entered the season with playoff aspirations and things don’t appear to be looking up any time soon.

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