Jarmo Kekalainen on Saturday added defense depth in his first trade as Buffalo Sabres general manager, acquiring Gavin Bayreuther from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward prospect Viktor Neuchev.
Bayreuther, 31, has been assigned to the Rochester Americans.
Having lost Jacob Bryson to an upper-body injury in Thursday’s 4-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens, the Sabres needed another left-shot defenseman in the organization.
Bryson’s injury forced the Sabres to recall defenseman Zac Jones, the Amerks’ leading scorer. Meanwhile, Amerks coach Mike Leone defensemen Vsevolod Komarov and Jack Rathbone are week to week with injuries.
Bayreuther has played 122 NHL games with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Dallas Stars over parts of four seasons, compiling five goals, 28 points and 62 penalty minutes. He last appeared in the big leagues with Columbus in 2022-23.
He registered four goals, 13 points and in 33 games with the Chicago Wolves, Carolina’s AHL affiliate, this season
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Bayreuther has spent most of his 10-year career in the AHL, recording 29 goals, 130 points and 160 points in 271 contests.
The New Hampshire native played four years at St. Lawrence University and went undrafted.
His two-way contract runs through this season.
Meanwhile, Neuchev, 22, spent three seasons in Rochester, compiling 24 goals, 66 points and 20 penalty minutes in 130 games.
The Russian registered six goals, 16 points and six penalty minutes in 34 games with the Amerks this year.
The Sabres drafted him in the third round in 2022, 74th overall.