TRADE: Sabres & Hurricanes Make 1-for-1 Deal
The Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres pulled of a very minor one-for-one trade over the weekend as the two teams announced the Sabres have acquired defenceman Gavin Bayreuther from the Hurricanes in exchange for forward prospect Viktor Neuchev.
Bayreuther, 31, has been a staple on the Chicago Wolves of the AHL this season, scoring four times and collecting 13 points in 33 games. He's a 6-foot-2 left-shot blueliner who is under contract through the 2026 season at an NHL price tag of $775,000.
Neuchev, 22, is an up-and-coming prospect who has yet to be given much of a shot to show what he can do. The Sabres selected him in the 2022 NHL draft, 74th overall. The 5-foot-11 winger has scored six goals and 16 points in 34 games with the AHL's Rochester Americans and is also in the final season of his contract.
The Buffalo Sabres have acquired defenseman Gavin Bayreuther from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Viktor Neuchev and assigned Bayreuther to the Rochester Americans (AHL). pic.twitter.com/Y9bJVBKgmB
— Buffalo Sabres PR (@SabresPR) January 24, 2026
The Sabres have been battling some injuries of late and needed another depth option on their blueline, and are able to land one in Bayreuther, who comes at a very reasonable cost, and could be given a shot at some NHL action very soon.
As for Neuchev, the Chelyabinsk, Russia product has produced 24 goals and 66 points in 130 games over three seasons with AHL Rochester, but was unable to crack the Sabres roster.
