What Happened
The Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins completed a defence swap on Monday, with Buffalo acquiring Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch in exchange for Ryan Johnson. Jones, 29, has yet to appear in an NHL game this season after playing seven for Pittsburgh last year. Johnson, 25, was Buffalo's first-round pick in 2019 and has seen limited NHL time over three seasons.
Key Details
- Jones, 29, recorded one assist in seven games for Pittsburgh last season.
- Jones has played for five teams across eight NHL seasons.
- Johnson, 25, was drafted 31st overall by Buffalo in 2019.
- Johnson has played 47 career NHL games, including three last season.
- Laatsch, 24, was Pittsburgh's seventh-round pick in 2021.
- Laatsch split last season between AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and ECHL Wheeling.
What It Means
The deal gives Buffalo additional defensive depth in Jones, a veteran who has bounced around the league, while Pittsburgh adds a younger left-shot blue-liner in Johnson who was a former first-round pick. Both Jones and Laatsch have spent most of their recent time in the minors, so the trade is unlikely to reshape either NHL roster immediately.