The Buffalo Sabres had some questions on the blueline entering the season. Mattias Samuelsson and Olen Zellweger both entered the season with injuries, but have since returned to the ice.
Regardless, the Sabres were still looking for depth on the blueline. After their 5-3 Monday afternoon win over the Florida Panthers, the team made a move at the blueline, per a release from the team.
“The Buffalo Sabres have acquired defensemen Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Ryan Johnson,” the Sabres announced on X, formerly Twitter.
Johnson was the 31st overall selection of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Sabres. He reported to the Rochester Americans of the AHL after four years with the University of Minnesota, joining them in 2023-24. He also made his NHL debut that year. Still, he has spent much of his career in the AHL, playing just 47 total NHL games in his career. He has not seen the ice in an NHL game this year.
Caleb Jones was the 117th selection of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 NHL draft. He broke into the NHL with the Oilers in 2018-19 and has spent time with the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, and Pittsburgh Penguins as well. Jones has played in 255 games at the NHL level with 14 goals and 42 assists. Jones has been playing for AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this year.
Article Continues BelowDaniel Laatsch has yet to play in the NHL. He spent four seasons at the University of Wisconsin, playing in the ECHL and AHL last season.
The Sabres are 3-3-0 this season and return to the ice on Tuesday, visiting the Montreal Canadiens.