A breakout season for the young forward who set out to prove that he belonged in the league, and should only get better from here on out
Total Season Stats: 28G, 22A, 50 pts in 82 games
Age: 22
Contract Status: Signed through 2024-25, $894,167 AAV, RFA at the start of the 2025-26 season
In a season where most of the leading lights on the Buffalo Sabres were pretty dim, John-Jason Peterka shone bright right from the outset. The combative winger started the season hot and continued to lead the team in goals scored almost all through the season until the very end when he went cold and a finally-fully-fit Tage Thompson overtook him.
Also, fun fact – Peterka has scored the Sabres’ first goal of the season in two consecutive years now. After making the All-AHL Rookie Team of the Year in his first season at the Rochester Americans at a point per game pace, he scored 32 points in 77 games in his rookie season before firmly establishing himself as a top six forward last season. Granted fifty points isn’t much in today’s NHL, but on an offensively-challenged team it was enough to be one of the leaders.
The 22-year-old led the way from the ‘kids line’ even though Dylan Cozens was going through a most miserable season and Zach Benson was having his own growing pains. Jack Quinn missing a large part of the season with injury did not help the Sabres on the ice, but Peterka remained unfazed, ending more nights as Buffalo’s best player on the ice than not.
What next for Peterka under Lindy Ruff next season? I think he only gets better. The veteran head coach admires toughness and tenacity, both qualities that the German embodies whenever he steps on the ice.
Meanwhile, Peterka stayed in form into the summer, scoring five times and tallying nine points in all for his native Germany in the World Hockey Championships as they went out in the quarter finals.
A slight ding on the forward with how he ended the season, going pointless for six games in February and then the last five to close out the campaign. Given that he played in all 82 games this season and is still only 22, I’m not giving him any grief for that.
Season Grade: A-