- Sabres trade 2019 first-rounder Ryan Johnson to Pittsburgh
- Buffalo gets defensemen Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch
- Read below for how the move fits a Sabres blue line already missing Rasmus Dahlin
The Buffalo Sabres have made a trade, and it’s a three-defenseman swap with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Buffalo sent Ryan Johnson to Pittsburgh for Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch, the Sabres announced Monday after their 5-3 win over the Panthers. All three players are in the minors right now.
Here’s the team’s announcement:
Johnson was the 31st overall pick in the 2019 draft and spent four years at Minnesota before turning pro. He has played 47 NHL games, all with Buffalo, and has seven assists to show for it. He hasn’t suited up for the Sabres this season.
Jones is a 29-year-old who went 117th overall to Edmonton in 2015. He has 14 goals and 42 assists in 255 NHL games with the Oilers, Blackhawks, Avalanche, Kings and Penguins. His best year came in 2022-23 in Chicago, when he put up 16 points in 73 games. He’s been with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season.
Laatsch is the throw-in with a story. The 24-year-old was a seventh-round pick in 2021 and played four seasons at Wisconsin. He tore a labrum in his senior year, then missed time with injuries in his first pro season. He has yet to play an NHL game and has no stats this season.
Buffalo needs bodies on the back end. Captain Rasmus Dahlin left Monday’s game with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day. Jones gives the Sabres a veteran option behind the regulars.
Pittsburgh gets a former first-rounder who still has some development left. The Sabres are 3-3-0 and visit Montreal on Tuesday.
