The Buffalo Sabres have acquired defenseman Henri Jokiharju from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Alexander Nylander.
Jokiharju, 20, tallied two goals and 15 assists for 17 points in 30 games with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs as a rookie in 2018-19. He also tallied 12 assists in 38 NHL contests with the Blackhawks.
A native of Oulu, Finland, Jokiharju also won gold at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship and the 2019 IIHF World Championship.
Jokiharju was a first-round pick (29th overall) by Chicago in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Nylander, 21, completed his third pro season in 2018-19 and set career highs with 12 goals and 31 points in 49 games with the AHL’s Rochester Americans. He also collected two goals and two assists in 12 NHL appearances with the Sabres.
A first-round choice (8th overall) by Buffalo in the 2016 NHL Draft, Nylander has skated in 165 career AHL games with Rochester, totaling 30 goals and 56 assists for 86 points.
He has added three goals and three assists in 19 NHL matches with the Sabres.