Overview
- Both teams confirmed the deal Monday when Buffalo announced it had received Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch from Pittsburgh in exchange for defenseman Ryan Johnson.
- Ryan Johnson is a 25-year-old former first-round pick (No. 31 in 2019) who has played 47 NHL games and was assigned to AHL Rochester to start the 2026–27 season.
- Caleb Jones is a 29-year-old left-shot with about 255 NHL games of experience who served a 20-game suspension earlier in 2026 for violating the NHL/NHLPA performance-enhancing substances policy.
- Daniel Laatsch is a 24-year-old seventh-round pick from 2021 who has not yet made his NHL debut and has split time between the ECHL and AHL.
- The Sabres add immediate defensive depth to cover injuries to their blue line and create short-term call-up options, while Pittsburgh lowers its left-shot logjam and opens minor-league roster and contract space.