Jarmo Kekalainen didn’t wait long to pull the trigger on his first trade as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres-and while it wasn’t a blockbuster, it was a savvy, under-the-radar move that adds much-needed depth to a defensive corps stretched thin by injuries.
The Sabres acquired defenseman Gavin Bayreuther from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Victor Neuchev. Bayreuther has been assigned to the Rochester Americans, Buffalo’s AHL affiliate, and that right there tells you a lot about the purpose of this deal. This isn’t about shaking up the NHL roster-it’s about stabilizing the blueline in Rochester, which has been hit just as hard as Buffalo by the ripple effects of injuries up top.
Bayreuther brings experience-271 AHL games under his belt, most recently with the Chicago Wolves, Carolina’s affiliate. This season, he’s logged 33 games with four goals and nine assists. Not eye-popping numbers, but solid production from a veteran defenseman who knows how to play his role.
What makes this move particularly interesting is the connection between Bayreuther and Kekalainen. The two go back to their days with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where Bayreuther played 103 NHL games over three seasons (2020-21 to 2022-23) while Kekalainen was running the show.
Bayreuther averaged 14:41 of ice time during that stretch-not top-pair minutes, but enough to show he can handle NHL shifts if called upon. So while this move is clearly aimed at bolstering Rochester, it’s not out of the question that Bayreuther could be a depth option for Buffalo if injuries continue to pile up.
And that’s really the heart of this trade. The Sabres’ blue line has been in triage mode for weeks. Conor Timmins is still out with a broken leg, Michael Kesselring just returned after missing time, and Jacob Bryson is the latest to go down-head coach Lindy Ruff said earlier this week that Bryson will “miss some time.”
That string of injuries forced Buffalo to dip into the Rochester pool, calling up Zach Metsa and Zac Jones. With those two now in the NHL mix, the Amerks were left with holes to fill on their back end. Enter Bayreuther-a steady, experienced presence who can step in immediately and help anchor the AHL roster.
This trade also offers a bit of insight into how the Sabres are viewing their current injury situation. If the team expected Metsa or Jones to head back down soon, they probably wouldn’t have made this move. But bringing in Bayreuther suggests they’re preparing for an extended absence for Bryson and possibly more time without Timmins.
There’s still hope that Timmins is nearing a return, and if he does, it could stabilize the third pair in Buffalo, likely alongside Kesselring. But until then, Metsa may continue to get NHL reps-and Bayreuther becomes a key piece for Rochester.
It’s not the kind of trade that grabs headlines, but it’s the kind of depth move that good organizations make to keep the machine running. Kekalainen knows Bayreuther well, and now he brings in a familiar face to help weather the storm-quietly, efficiently, and with an eye on both the present and the depth chart.