The Buffalo Sabres have endured injuries that have reduced the organization’s blueline depth, and in his first trade since taking over, Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen acquired veteran minor-league defenseman Gavin Bayreuther from the Carolina Hurricanes for AHL winger Viktor Neuchev.  

Neuchev was selected in the third round of the 2022 Draft out of the Ekaterinburg Automobilist system, and after a full year in the KHL, the 22-year-old signed his entry-level contract and started in Rochester in a depth role. His role with the Amerks increased as the season progressed, and he ended his rookie season with 28 points (11 goals,17 assists). Last season, he was on pace to eclipse his rookie totals, but suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. 

In the final year of his ELC, Neuchev has 16 points (6 goals, 10 assists) in 34 games.   

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Bayreuther, 31, was an undrafted college free agent signed by Dallas in 2016, and after four years with the Stars, he was signed by Kekalainen in Columbus in 2020 and spent three years shuttling between the Blue Jackets and AHL Cleveland. After returning to the Stars organization for one year and playing in Switzerland last season, the left-handed defenseman signed with the Hurricanes, playing 33 games with the AHL Chicago Wolves. 

The Sabres are without defenseman Conor Timmins (broken leg), and lost Jacob Bryson to an upper-body injury in Montreal on Thursday. Defenseman Michael Kesselring has been out four separate times this season, and with Zac Jones recalled to Buffalo, the Amerks needed help on the blueline. 

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