The Buffalo Sabres have acquired defenseman Erik Brannstrom from the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel.
Brannstrom is no stranger to being traded, as this is now the third time he has been moved this season alone. After signing with the Colorado Avalanche during the off-season, he was traded after training camp to the Vancouver Canucks. He was then dealt by Vancouver to the Rangers as a part of the J.T. Miller trade. Now, he is heading to Buffalo.
With this move, the Sabres are adding a former first-round pick to their defensive depth. The 25-year-old has played in 28 NHL games this season, all while with Vancouver, where he has three goals and eight points. In 294 career NHL games, he has 10 goals, 77 points, and a minus-17 rating.
As for Aube-Kubel, he will now be a depth forward for the Rangers as they look to sneak into the playoffs. The 28-year-old forward joined the Sabres this past off-season and struggled with the Atlantic Division squad. In 19 games with Buffalo, he had one goal, one assist, 33 hits, and a minus-4 rating. He also appeared in 12 games with the Rochester Americans, posting four goals and eight points.
