The Buffalo Sabres roster went through a significant turnover on NHL Trade Deadline day, as center Dylan Cozens, defensemen Dennis Gilbert and Henri Jokiharju and minor leaguer Nicolas Aube-Kubel were dealt to Ottawa, Boston, and the NY Rangers, with center Josh Norris and blueliners Jacob Bernard-Docker and Erik Brannstrom headed to the Sabres, but there could be more lineup changes in store for Buffalo in the final game of their two-game Florida road swing against the Stanley Cup Champion Panthers on Saturday.
According to Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News, Norris flew down from New York where the Senators were set to face the Rangers and took the morning skate with his new club, but Bernard-Docker has been held up due to visa issues. Brannstrom — who was traded from Vancouver in the J.T. Miller deal in late January – is headed to Rochester to join the Amerks, but the club recalled two players because of illness making it’s way through the Sabres locker room.
Buffalo recalled winger Isak Rosen and center Josh Dunne from AHL Rochester, with center Jiri Kulich ruled out for the game and wingers Jack Quinn and Jordan Greenway game-time decisions. Rosen leads the Amerks with 50 points (26 goals, 24 assists) in 51 games and played two games for the Sabres earlier this season. Dunne, who saw brief stints with Columbus in 2021 and 2023, has 24 points (8 goals, 16 assists) in 54 games.
The Sabres have lost five straight and blew a two-goal lead in Tampa Bay, losing 6-5 to the Lightning on Thursday. Buffalo is expected to start Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in spite of allowing 11 goals in his past two starts against San Jose and Tampa.
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